Withering Vine
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After being attacked by a strange hollow, one of Ichigo and Kisuke's wishes seems to be coming true. But when the new parents realize that Ichigo's body is in a state of decline, their dream becomes a nightmare...Warning mpreg.
1. The Cherry Blossom Viewing

**Chapter 1: The Cherry Blossom Viewing**

Ichigo stopped at the open gates at the entrance to Kuchiki Manor as the guards bowed briefly in welcome to him and to the shinigami who stood at his side.

"Urahara-san, Kurosaki-san," the guard said politely, "Kuchiki-sama and Abarai-san are awaiting you on the patio in the main garden. Please continue along the walkway ahead of you and turn right at the end to reach the garden."

"Arigato, Tsutomu-san," answered Ichigo

Ichigo heard Kisuke laugh softly and turned his head to look at the shopkeeper.

"What's so funny?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet to suit the tranquil environs.

Kisuke smiled and slipped a hand into his.

"Oh, it's nothing all that interesting," the shopkeeper said softly, "It's just that I've never received quite such an enthusiastic welcome here at Kuchiki Manor is all. Even before I was banished, I'm afraid neither Byakuya nor Ginrei were all that fond of me. Perhaps it was my affiliation with Yoruichi."

"Hmmm…" Ichigo chuckled, "I'd have to say Byakuya never welcomed me here with so much enthusiasm before either. But motherhood really agrees with him, ne?"

"Oho," laughed Kisuke shortly, "You'd better not let Byakuya hear you refer to him like that. I think he'd put a ban kai to your ass."

"What good would it do?" Ichigo fired back, "Since he got pregnant, all his ban kai is is a bunch of soft, harmless petals."

"Yeah," Kisuke agreed, "But you might want to remember that he's not pregnant anymore. Those petals already have edges."

"But wait a minute," Ichigo objected, "I thought that the reason Byakuya wanted me to take that next mission with Renji was because he was still affected by the pregnancy."

"He is," Kisuke said, nodding, "But even though his blades are sharpening and his reiatsu levels are returning to normal doesn't mean he's in shape for a mission yet. It's going to be a few months before he is at full strength."

Ichigo fell silent, breathing in the sweet scent of flowers and watching Kisuke out of the corner of an eye. A thought occurred to him…as it had been occurring off and on ever since Byakuya and Renji had first announced that the noble was with child. He studied Kisuke's profile, thinking about the shopkeeper's obvious affection for Jinta and Ururu, and wondered if…

"It's kind of sad," he said without thinking.

A flush rose on his cheeks as he felt Kisuke's eyes come to rest on him.

"What's sad?" Kisuke asked, stopping on the walkway.

Ichigo smiled briefly.

"Well, I guess I mean that Byakuya and Renji are really lucky. Because of Byakuya's nobility, they are able to have kids together…"

The shopkeeper's gray eyes softened and Kisuke gave his hand a squeeze.

"Stop worrying about that," he said with gentle reproach, "I told you. It doesn't matter. And besides, I am working on that. Byakuya has been very generously allowing me to study the progression of his pregnancy so that I can become familiar with how exactly it works. It suggests that there is a way to 'unlock' the gene or genes that allow a male to become pregnant. I really believe that if noble males can, then there's a way to make non-nobles able to have babies too."

"And if there's a way to do that, you will find it," Ichigo said, wrapping an arm around the shopkeeper and meeting him for an affectionate kiss.

Kisuke's smile widened.

"Come on, Ichigo, we don't want to keep his highness waiting, ne?"

"Ah, no," answered the youth, "Byakuya's kinda pissy about things like that."

"Aw, be nice," laughed Kisuke, "He's actually been downright sweet for the past nine months. I think if Renji knows what's good for him, he'll keep that one barefoot and pregnant for the next hundred years or so."

"Kami!" giggled Ichigo, "I don't think they want _that_ many babies, do you?"

"Why not?" Kisuke asked, grinning, "They can just hire more attendants to help them. Ah, the niceties of wealth..."

"Yeah, whatever..." Ichigo chuckled.

They stepped down off of the end of the walkway and entered the lovely main garden of the manor. Ichigo marveled, as he did every time he came to Kuchiki Manor at just how beautiful and peaceful this place was. It just went to prove that much went on beneath the calm, stern surface of the complex noble his friend had fallen in love with.

_How does that happen?_ he mused, _How does a guy fall in love with someone who once tried to kill him?_

But, he realized, Renji had always idolized Byakuya, even when he hated him. And in much the same way (but without the hatred and near killing), Ichigo had idolized Urahara since the man had scooped his nearly dead body off the ground (Hmmm…after Byakuya had almost killed him…) and found the shinigami inside him. Nothing had been the same since. And, he realized, he wouldn't change a thing about that even if he could.

His thoughts were interrupted as they reached the gazebo and Renji stepped forward to greet them. Byakuya sat with Baby Hajime cradled in his arms, feeding the boy from a bottle and smiling gently as a tiny hand reached up and tugged at a handful of the noble's silken black hair.

"Ah, you don't want to be doing that, little Kuchiki," Ichigo said grinning, "I think if any of the rest of us did that, we'd be running for our lives, ne?"

He expected Byakuya to frown or show disapproval, but the noble continued to show an unusually docile nature, only letting out a puff of breath and observing him with a calm gray eye as he and Kisuke sat down at the table and breakfast was served.

"So, Renji-san," said Ichigo, "Is that a new kimono?"

Renji glanced down at the deep red kimono that was decorated with a pattern of dark flowers and lined with bright red silk.

"Oh yeah," he said, looking back at Byakuya and smiling, "It was a gift from Byakuya to celebrate our son's birth and naming ceremony. I think these people have about a hundred 'celebrations' and 'gatherings' for every damned thing that happens."

"There are fewer major gatherings of the clan," Byakuya explained, "but because of the sheer size of the family, the number of subfamilies, other festivals and celebrations are more local. It's just that we are invited to several of the same type because I am clan leader."

"Man! I think I had it easier on the streets of Inuzuri," Renji laughed good-naturedly, "I may have had to struggle to have enough to eat, but no one ever told me what to do. For a clan leader, you sure have a lot of people watching over your every move. Especially that set of old geezers. Sheesh, I don't know how you put up with all of their complaining. We gave'em an heir. What more do the old goats want?"

"Renji, please refrain from referring to the Kuchiki elders as 'geezers' and 'old goats,'" sighed Byakuya, "Although, I do agree that they seem to make an awful lot of fuss over everything. But that is why my grandfather instructed me so thoroughly in diplomatic relations…so I could manage their prating and bickering and not lose my mind."

"Yeah," said Renji, leaning over to kiss Hajime on the cheek, then to offer Byakuya a more romantic brushing of lips, "Well, I'm glad you take care of all that and I don't have to be involved."

The four men settled down as the breakfast was served and ate quietly, listening to the soft sounds of birds and the splashes of the koi in the nearby ponds. The scents of flowers and the savory meal blended, leaving the group feeling relaxed and comfortable. It was some time before Ichigo remembered that there was a reason beyond breakfast and the later cherry blossom viewing that had brought them to Kuchiki Manor. He looked up and caught Byakuya's eye.

"Byakuya," he said quietly, "You said that there was a Squad Six mission that you wanted my help with?"

The noble let out a troubled breath and glanced at Renji, who returned his gaze with a sympathetic smile.

"Actually, yes," admitted the noble, "You see, one of our division's responsibilities is to take intelligence provided by the second division and to make surgical strikes on our opponents in Hueco Mundo. Now that Aizen has been captured and imprisoned, many are inclined to believe that it means that we no longer have a need to concern ourselves with what goes on in that place. The truth is quite the opposite. It becomes even more important as that world flounders in chaos, to prevent a darker force from gaining too much power. There are several warring factions aiming for supremacy there. There are a few surviving Espada who have decided that the best route is to seek peace with the shinigamis and to make agreements so that each world gains something and does not have to be at war with the other. Then there is a hollow prince from an ancient royal family, who claims to be the rightful heir to the throne. The other two main groups are opportunists, just out to take advantage of the situation. Soutaichou favors either the old Espada or the royal heir, so he sends us in to sabotage the troublemaking Arrancars. The need for one of these raids has arisen."

"Usually," Renji said, "Taichou and I would take the mission together. It is a taichou level mission…high risk, so it requires two taichou levels, and an incendiary expert."

"Obviously," Byakuya went on, "I am not fit for the mission, but it still needs doing, so Renji suggested that the two of you should go with him."

"Right," Renji agreed, "Ichigo has the power of a taichou and Kisuke, you know more about explosives than our usual expert, so…"

"And," said Ichigo, "We've all worked together on missions before, so that works in our favor."

"In short," said Byakuya, "I only feel comfortable sending Renji out on a mission of this sort with others who have appropriate experience. We cannot avoid high risk missions, but we can temper the risk if we approach the situation with proper vigilance."

"So what do you think?" asked Renji, "Are the two of you up for it?"

"Huh," chuckled Kisuke, "I'm always up for explosions and spine-tingling danger."

"And you, Ichigo?" asked the redhead.

"Hey, wherever Kisuke goes, I go. Besides, you're friends…and I want to see to it that you come home safely to your family."

He turned to meet Byakuya's eyes.

"We won't let anything bad happen to him," he promised.

He was touched by the look of relief in the noble's expression.

"Arigato, Ichigo…Urahara-san. I do appreciate this."

"So, when do we leave?" asked Ichigo.

"After the cherry blossom viewing," Renji said, "Tomorrow morning. I have our regular provisions ready and Kisuke can help me to add any additional things the two of you think we'll need."

"And now, if you are finished," Byakuya added, "My attendant, Torio, can show you to your room."

"Arigato, Byakuya-san," said Kisuke, rising.

Ichigo followed, his mind deep in thought as the attendant led them across the garden and into a large, comfortable looking bedroom.

"The dressing area and bathroom are in the back," said Torio, "If you need anything, touch the button by the door and someone will assist you. Lunch will be served in the garden at noon and then Kuchiki-sama will escort you to the cherry blossom viewing."

"Arigato, Torio," Kisuke said, nodding.

"Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?" the youth asked cordially.

"No," said Ichigo, "We're fine for now, thanks."

"You are welcome, sirs," the attendant said, bowing, then turning and flash stepping away.

"Ah," said Kisuke, "Such a peaceful, quiet place, ne? Nothing like the shop…with the kids running around and people in and out all of the time. I feel like you and I get precious little time alone together, eh, Ichigo?"

A slow smile crawled onto the youth's lips and he closed the doors that led into the garden.

"Well," said Ichigo, "It looks like time has slowed for us for the moment. We don't have anything to do but settle in until lunchtime…so…"

Kisuke moved closer and slipped his arms around Ichigo.

"Are you saying you'd like to spend some time, settling in?" he asked, lowering his lips teasingly close to the youth's.

"I'm up for it if you are," Ichigo whispered back, holding himself just slightly away.

"Oh," said Kisuke, "I'm always up for settling in with you."

The two exchanged a slow, sweet greeting kiss.

"You still taste like strawberries from our breakfast," Kisuke commented, "I happen to very much enjoy ripe strawberries."

He sank deeper into Ichigo's open mouth, enjoying the sweetness and warmth. Ichigo closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the older shinigami, sliding his tongue hungrily along Kisuke's and making a soft sigh of contentment. Kisuke's hands loosened their clothing and the two let their things slide to the floor. They stood with their bare bodies laid against each other, exchanging slow, penetrating kisses until Kisuke's eyes met Ichigo's and the shopkeeper moved forward, nudging him in the direction of the bed. Laughing softly, Ichigo stepped back, then broke away from his lover to climb onto the bed. He waited as Kisuke joined him on the bed and leaned back against the pillows. Ichigo climbed onto his lap and knelt astride the older shinigami, feeding him more intense kisses and gently rubbing his growing length against Kisuke's. Kisuke's arms wrapped tightly around him and encouraged the soft thrust of his hips. He moaned into the younger man's mouth and moved his hips to intensify the contact between their thickening arousals. He brought his fingers to the youth's lips and pushed them inside, enjoying the wetness and heat that engulfed them. Ichigo locked his eyes on the shopkeeper's, holding his gaze as he carefully wet each finger. Smiling at the younger man, Kisuke removed his fingers from Ichigo's mouth and pulled him closer, reaching around him and slowly beginning to prepare him for their joining.

Ichigo lowered his head and attacked the older shinigami's soft throat with nips and wet kisses as Kisuke's fingers moved, leaving the youth covered in a light sweat and panting against the shopkeeper's shoulder. The fingers hooked, sending a heavy jolt rocketing through him, making him gasp and causing his swollen member to leak.

"_Kisuke_…" he moaned, nipping and sucking at the other man's earlobe, "You teasing me or what?"

The older shinigami removed his fingers and positioned the younger man for their joining. Ichigo sank down slowly, raining a torrent of blazing kisses onto his mouth and throat. Kisuke's hand touched and caressed him in time with Ichigo's heavy and increasingly faster motions. He bucked his hips upward, pushing harder into the youth's agile body and moaning at the heavenly feel of it moving on top of him. One hand slid down Ichigo's sweat slicked back and took hold of his buttocks, encouraging them in their movement while the other continued to pleasure the young man until Ichigo closed his eyes, caught his breath and hot seed exploded onto their skin.

He met the youth's mouth with hard, biting kisses as Ichigo moaned, trembled and finally collapsed, still panting heavily, into his arms. He held himself inside his lover's spent body, making Ichigo groan and sigh with even deeper pleasure as he was filled with his lover's hot release.

Kisuke laid smiling with Ichigo's limp body relaxing against him, still buried in the young man's depths as Ichigo dropped off to sleep. His mind wandered pleasantly as he watched the youth sleep and it seemed odd to him that one so strong and active so much of the time could become so silent and still.

He thought back to the meeting in the gardens, to the gentle, happy expression that Byakuya had worn as he held and fed his newborn son. He hated to put pressure on Ichigo, but some part of him held out hope that such a thing could someday be in their future.

But even as hard as he had tried, he was still far from unlocking the secrets of male pregnancy. And in any case, Ichigo might not desire making the invasive and upending trek through pregnancy anyway. Just because he might agree to having a child _with_ Kisuke didn't mean that he would consent to carry it…especially if the experience was anything like what women went through. And judging from what he had seen Byakuya endure in the preceding nine months, it seemed that was an inescapable fact of the experience.

Still…they had plenty of time.

He might be older than Ichigo, but still had many years to enjoy with his younger lover. And somewhere in the course of those long years, he imagined, they would find their answers. Content to wait and enjoy their love as it came to them, he tightened his arms around the ginger-haired shinigami and let himself drop off to sleep.


	2. The Hueco Mundo Raid

**Chapter 2: The Hueco Mundo Raid**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**_We turn down a dangerous path, where threats and obstacles await us. But on the other side of all of our troubles…wait our dreams._**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Kisuke woke in the early morning to find his nose being tickled pleasantly by Ichigo's hair. He lifted his head and licked lazily at the back of the young man's neck, and rubbed his morning hardness lightly against a soft buttock. Getting no response, he slid a hand around the youth's body and teased him with a slow, warm caress.

"Ung…" groaned Ichigo, sighing and dropping off to sleep again.

Kisuke nudged the slumbering shinigami until he rolled onto his back and squinted up at him, scowling slightly.

"It's not time to get up," he moaned softly, closing his eyes again.

"Sure it is," Kisuke whispered, smiling, "Someone just needs the right motivation, ne?"

"Ngh," grunted the youth, noncommittally.

Kisuke chuckled softly and nosed his way beneath the sleepy shinigami's chin, licking and sucking gently at his throat and letting his hands wander down to tease one already erect nipple, then the other. He lowered his lips to them and stroked them with a wickedly skillful tongue until Ichigo groaned hungrily and thrust upward, seeking friction. Kisuke mouth teased its way down the younger man's slender torso, kissing, licking and sucking in turns.

"Mmmm, good morning…" moaned Ichigo, his eyes opening to watch as Kisuke parted his thighs and knelt between them.

He began a slow and intense exploration of the younger man's nether region, keeping one shaded eye on Ichigo's handsome face. Ichigo's eyes became hazy and a hand slipped down, the fingers sinking into the older shinigami's hair and coaxing his head to continue the pleasing up and down motion.

Kisuke continued the gentle assault on his sensitive areas, while his fingers commenced a tender preparation as the shopkeeper's mouth took him to the edges of oblivion. He panted out his lover's name a last time before gasping with pleasure and releasing violently. The older man closed his eyes and swallowed several times, listening contentedly to his lover's lightheaded moans of completion, then returning to Ichigo's mouth to share their blended tastes and scents in deep, open-mouthed kisses. Ichigo's eyes locked on his and the younger shinigami smiled.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, "You neglecting yourself today?"

Kisuke grinned.

"Nah," he told the younger man, "just taking my time and letting you breathe a little between rounds."

"Wha-? Why?"

"Because I love the way you look when you climax. It's so beautiful, I want to see it again. If I rush things, we'll be done too soon."

"Huh…no way," Ichigo chuckled, "I'll take as much time as you want."

"Good," the older shinigami whispered kissing him again as Ichigo turned and rolled him onto his back. Slowly, and with his eyes locked on Kisuke's, the younger man crawled down Kisuke's body, kissing, licking and nipping playfully at his skin. Kisuke sighed and closed his eyes, moaning softly as Ichigo's mouth moved down his body, leaving him panting and sweaty with arousal. The youth returned to his mouth for a delightful tangle of heated kisses before Kisuke turned and crawled on top of him again, trapping him and looking deeply into his eyes as he entered the younger man. Ichigo moaned and pushed his hips upward, already hungry for his lover's body to move with his. Kisuke didn't keep him waiting, but thrust hard and fast, lacing his fingers together with his lover's and pouring all of his strength into the connection between him. Ichigo panted and moaned fitfully, his head tilting back, exposing his throat and Kisuke's name on his lips. The shopkeeper took the invitation, diving onto the soft flesh of Ichigo's throat and feasting hungrily as his hips continued to thrust and grind deeply into the younger man's, leaving him nearly senseless with pleasure.

Ichigo's hands grabbed at his hips and held on tightly, pulling with each hard thrust. His body writhed and pitched restlessly under the older man's and his expression told Kisuke how close he was to absolute bliss. The older shinigami shifted slightly, changing the angle of his thrusts and striking the bundle of nerves deep inside the youth, making his mouth open into a harsh, gasping cry of completion as hot seed erupted out of him and onto their skin. Ichigo shook heavily with the intensity of his orgasm, sending Kisuke over and into waves of resounding pleasure with him. He emptied himself in seething pulses into his lover, then leaned over his sated, limp body and licked away the remains of their lovemaking. When he was finished, he collapsed into the younger shinigami's arms for a bout of slow, sleepy kisses. They drifted off together and slept until the alarm clock went off and they were forced to pull free of each other to prepare for the mission.

Kisuke yawned and followed Ichigo into the shower, where they wrapped themselves around each other and let the hot water run down their bodies as they indulged in hot wet kisses.

"Damn!" hissed Ichigo, "I can never get enough of you."

Kisuke laughed softly.

"Same here," he said, curving his hand around Ichigo's pert bottom and giving it a squeeze.

"It's funny," Ichigo said softly, "I thought maybe after a few years of being around each other so much, things might cool down. You know, like things do after a while most of the time. But that hasn't happened. When I'm with you, I always want to be this close to you and when I'm away from you, I just think about being this close to you again. Aishiteru yo."

"Well, that definitely makes two of us," the shopkeeper said, kissing the youth several more times, then pulling back and looking into his affectionate eyes.

"So," he went on, "If after several years, we still enjoy each other so much, shouldn't we take it as a sign we're doing the right thing here, Ichigo?"

"Huh?" the youth said, blinking as he considered the meaning beneath the words.

"What I mean is," Kisuke said softly, "If we love each other this much, shouldn't we make this a permanent thing?"

Ichigo caught his breath and stared up at the other man, as though reading his level of seriousness.

"You're…not messing with me, ne? You really mean you want to…"

"Hey, Byakuya and Renji tied the knot, and look how happy they are."

"Yeah," said Ichigo, his eyes dropping, "But Kisuke, I know that you really want to have kids. And if you stay with me, then that might not happen."

"What are you talking about?" the shopkeeper asked, sounding offended, "You think I'll never figure that out? You don't think I can?"

Ichigo smiled affectionately.

"I think if anyone can, then you can," he said, running his fingers lightly down the length of the other man's neck, "But it may not happen, and we know it. And if it doesn't, then you don't want to be trapped in a relationship with…"

"Stop, right there," Kisuke said, lifting the youth's chin and kissing his pouting mouth, "I'll figure this out. I will. So don't worry about that. Ichigo…I just want to know. I want to know if you love me enough that you want to spend the rest of our lives together. It's okay if you don't, but if that's what this is, then you need to be honest with me."

"It's not," Ichigo assured him, "I just…I want you to be happy. And that's a kind of happiness that I don't know if I can give you. But I think you should have that."

"Hey," the shopkeeper said, kissing his way up to a soft earlobe and nipping it, "Why don't you let me decide what I want. And what I want is you."

Ichigo gave a soft sigh and let his weight fall against the other man. Kisuke lathered his hands and slowly washed the younger shinigami's body, then relaxed in Ichigo's embrace as the youth returned the gesture. They said no more on the subject of marriage, but talked carefully around it as they dressed and met Byakuya and Renji at the garden patio table for breakfast.

"I hope you slept well," Byakuya said, his face a shade too pale and his voice catching slightly.

"You don't look like you did," commented Kisuke sympathetically, "You need a sleeping draught?"

Byakuya's lips tightened and he shook his head.

"He didn't sleep at all," Renji sighed worriedly, "I, on the other hand, slept like a log. I'm well rested and ready to go."

"Me too," agreed Ichigo.

"_Us_ too," Kisuke corrected him, "Byakuya-san, don't worry about anything. We'll bring Renji back to you intact, okay?"

Byakuya nodded, but his eyes betrayed uncertainty. Renji smiled and wrapped his arms around the noble, kissing him several times.

"It's going to be fine."

"I know," Byakuya said quietly, "It's just…"

"I get it. Unohana taichou said that the chemical balances in your body would be off and you would be moody and out of sorts for a bit longer. It's okay, really."

Byakuya rested his head wearily on the redhead's for a moment and sighed resignedly.

"You're right, Renji. I know that. But I want you to be careful, just the same."

"I will. And I'll send a hell butterfly ahead of us to tell you when we're coming back."

Byakuya nodded and pulled away, watching quietly as the group left the garden and headed for the manor entry gate. Once outside the gates, Kisuke shook his head and sighed.

"He's a real mess today, ne, Renji?" he commented.

"Yeah," Renji agreed, smiling, "but I thought he handled it well under the circumstances. The pregnancy really messed with his body and emotions. I can't complain because he's been really great all through it. I'm not gonna get pissed off at him for worrying about me. He coulda made a lot bigger fuss if he wanted to."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, chuckling, "I think you're right on target there."

They flash stepped across the Seireitei and out the main gates, then turned and flash stepped towards the main senkaimon. They passed through the precipice world and returned to Urahara's shop, where they opened a garganta and passed through into Hueco Mundo.

"Don't forget it's gotten a lot more dangerous here since Aizen was captured," Renji warned them, "Keep your eyes open and your senses sharp."

"Gotcha," breathed Ichigo.

Kisuke nodded and moved out ahead of them, using his sharper senses and the mission map to set their course. They moved through the darkness like three silent shadows, saying little and listening and watching carefully. They walked for nearly an hour without incident, then ducked into a cave near their target and prepared the explosive charges for detonation. Renji stood guard by the munitions while Ichigo held onto Kisuke and flew him high over the target site. The shopkeeper made several notes on the facility map, then Ichigo carried him back to the cave.

"Good to see you guys," Renji commented, "It's creepy being out here alone. And just so you guys are aware, I sensed something powerful in that especially dark area off to the right of the complex. I think it's a high level hollow of some kind, but I'm not sure what. Just don't fly over that area when you make your drops and come back."

Ichigo nodded.

"Okay," Kisuke said, handing Renji one of the maps he was carrying, "Ichigo's gonna fly me in to set charges in several protected locations. Renji, you take care of the ones on the map I gave you. We meet back here, and then I'll set off all of the charges together. Don't screw up, because the way they're set, if something goes off too soon, it will set off the rest and really fuck things up. Any questions?"

"Set the charges, don't fuck up, got it," said Renji, smiling.

The redhead watched as Ichigo and Kisuke carefully lifted the packs containing the charges onto their shoulders, then Ichigo looped an arm around the shopkeeper and lifted them both into the air. Renji flash stepped to each spot Kisuke had identified on the map and carefully placed an explosive charge in each location. He went back slowly, double checking the position of each charge and marking them off on the map. As he reached the cave again, he saw Ichigo set down with Kisuke, then rise into the air alone and turn back towards the Arrancar compound.

"What's he doing?" asked Renji.

"Final flyover," Kisuke said, his eyes following the ginger-haired youth until he disappeared, "Just one last check to make sure everything's set right."

"Ah," said Renji, nodding, "But there were no issues? No one spotted you?"

"Don't think so," Kisuke said, watching the sky for Ichigo.

A sudden ruckus inside the compound turned their heads and the two shinigamis dropped to the ground, watching as inside the gates, several drunk Arrancars stumbled out of one building and turned towards another.

"Shit…not good," muttered Kisuke, tugging on Renji to move him back, "They're headed right for…"

He broke off as a horrendous roar arose from the camp and screams of dying Arrancars filled the air.

"Kami! Ichigo!" hissed Renji, trying to pull free of Kisuke, "Let go! He's right over that…"

A series of shattering booms erupted around the camp and light flooded the area. Arrancars poured from the buildings and were swept away in a second wave of explosions.

"Holy shit…" whispered Renji, "Kisuke!"

"I know."

"Is he still up there?"

"No."

Renji paled.

"You don't think he…"

"No," said Kisuke, "He went down over there."

Renji followed his gaze to the darkened region he had pointed out before.

"Damn…" Renji muttered.

"Well, we'd better move that way. In about five seconds, whatever Arrancars we didn't just kill are gonna be raking this area, looking for us. Whatever's in there is just one. I'd rather face that than a bunch of Arrancars."

"You don't know what that thing is," Renji reminded him.

"Yeah, but chances are, the two of us alone can defeat that one. I don't think we can take on more than a few of those Arrancars. Come on. We have to go."

Renji turned and flash stepped away with the shopkeeper as the gates of the compound opened and enemies poured out, searching the area for the ones who had attacked them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo felt the concussion from the first blast and tried to rise higher and angle back towards the others. But as the domino effect set off charge after charge, he was struck with heavy shock waves and thrown about until he barely remembered which way was up. He heard shouts and realized that he'd been spotted. Unfortunately, as he tried to speed away, one of the Arrancars fired some projectile into the air that sent him tumbling out of control.

He managed to control his decline enough so that he could see where he was going. He groaned as he realized he was going to come down in the dark area Renji had said to avoid. He fell into the center of the misted, black area and felt as though he had been swallowed whole. He struck the ground with stunning force and bumped to a stop, then lay on the ground catching his breath.

"Well," he panted, "At least…the Arrancars won't…find me so fast."

He wondered about the creature Renji had sensed. But as useless as he was at sensing reiatsu, he quickly realized that whatever it was, was standing over him, looking down at him with hypnotic red and golden eyes. He got a glimpse of the outline of a woman.

_Greetings,_ a soft, soothing female voice spoke in his mind, _I don't get many visitors. I think perhaps they fear me too much. But you do not need to fear me. Sleep, shinigami. I will be with you in your dreams…_

"W-wait!" he gasped, "Who are you? What are you…"

He broke off as darkness and mist seemed to cloud his mind and he felt the invasion of a dark, wicked reiatsu.

"S-stop!" he cried sharply, trying to move his frozen limbs, "Get out! Get out!"

_Shh…sleep…sleep…sleep…_

The darkness and mist closed in around him. Ichigo tried to scream, but found himself no longer able to verbalize. He lay frozen as the other entered his mind and sent him quickly off to sleep.

_Yes, sleep, Shinigami. I will look inside you._

Ichigo flinched several times, then fell quiet and still.

_Having fallen under my spell, your life belongs to me now. But do not fear. I will take it slowly. And to ease the pain, I will grant you one wish before you yield your life to me…_

_I see your deepest desire, Shinigami._

_It will be done._


	3. The Recovery

**Chapter 3: The Recovery**

Ichigo floated weightlessly in a rush of depthless blackness. His body refused to move except that his heart beat and he could feel the rise and fall of his breathing.

_I haven't died then, _he thought, _but what has happened to me? I remember being struck by something…and falling. I even remember crashing down in this place. There was someone here before. Someone was standing over me. I know I felt it! Whoever it was…did something. I don't remember. Kami, I need to remember!_

He continued to drift in the corners of his own mind, the blackness wrapping around him and holding him suspended.

_What's happening? Why can't I move? How do I get back?_

He could feel dark eyes watching him.

_Who are you?_

No answer came and only his breathing and heartbeat broke the silence.

_Why can't I move? I have to move!_

"Ichigo!"

He heard the sound of footsteps and recognized Kisuke and Renji's voices, but still could not move. He lay silently in the dark, cold sand, his eyes clearing slowly until he could see the night sky overhead.

"Ichigo!" Kisuke's voice called again.

_Kisuke! _He cried out in his mind.

And ever so slowly, his lover's body turned and began to move in his direction. Relief flooded his frozen body as their footsteps grew closer and his heart calmed. They burst into the small clearing, where he lay amongst the rocks. Kisuke dropped to his knees and leaned over the youth, worry plain in his solemn gray eyes.

"Ichigo…Ichigo, can you hear me?"

Renji gazed down at the two of them worriedly.

"Kisuke, we have to grab him and just go. Those guys out there are going to figure out where we went."

"He looks okay, for the most part," Kisuke said, examining his lover's body briefly, "I think he may just have been stunned by the fall. Ichigo…come on, snap out of it!"

Kisuke carefully lifted the youth and turned in the direction of the crossover point. They broke into flash steps as the enemy behind them found traces of their passage and sounds of pursuit rose up again behind them.

"Well," Renji said breathlessly, "The raid looks like a big success. Despite those asses setting off the charges too soon, we blew up most of the base. That'll put their plans off nicely."

"Now, we just have to get our tails out of here. It would help if sleeping beauty here would stop loafing and walk on his own."

"Here," said Renji, "Let me carry him for a bit."

Kisuke surrendered Ichigo's dazed form to the redhead and led Renji away from the pursuit. They found the edge of the odd, misted area and burst out into the clearer expanses of sand, only to find, a moment later, that some of their pursuers had anticipated their move and moved to cut them off. Renji dropped Ichigo and sent Zabimaru roaring through them as Kisuke's release pounded the ones left after the redhead attacked. A few enemies were left standing, but it was fairly easy to grab Ichigo and break through to the crossover point. They slowed as they passed through the precipice world and dropped down into Kisuke's training room, sweating and panting, but unhurt. Renji carried Ichigo out of the training room and turned towards a bedroom.

"Thanks," Kisuke said, following him in, then dropping down at the ginger-haired youth's side.

"He going to be all right?" Renji asked, gazing down at the semi-conscious youth.

"Yeah," said Kisuke, "It just looks like the fall and whatever was in that area zapped his reiatsu. It's pretty depleted. I think once it's restored, he'll be fine. Look, why don't you go on back and let Byakuya-san know you're all right. He was pretty worried before we left. Leave Ichigo to me."

"Okay," Renji said, looking slightly less than completely convinced, "but I'll check in later to see how he's doing."

"Thanks, Renji."

He watched as the redhead opened a senkaimon and disappeared into the precipice world, then turned back to Ichigo, still gazed up blankly into the shopkeeper's worried gray eyes.

"You trying to make me nervous, kid?" he asked, placing his hands on Ichigo's slender torso and lowering his head, sending pulses of reiatsu into the youth's body. The power flowed easily into Ichigo, slowly reviving him. Within a few minutes, his breathing and heartbeat returned to normal, and a few more minutes later, he began to shift and moan beneath Kisuke's hands. Slowly, the hazy brown eyes cleared and focused on him.

"Well," Kisuke said, sounding a lot more relaxed than he felt, "finally decided to wake up, ne?"

Ichigo took a few slow breaths and sat up, looking around.

"W-we're…back?" he said, blinking several times.

"Yeah," said the shopkeeper, "You kinda slept through the part where we had to run for our lives after the attack, but, yeah, we got back here in one or two pieces."

"Where's Renji?" asked the youth, "Did he go back to Soul Society already?"

Kisuke nodded.

"Yup, but he'll be back. He was a little freaked out when you wouldn't wake up like that. Have to say, I found it unnerving myself. You feeling okay now?"

"Oh…uh, yeah, I guess. I don't hurt or anything like that," Ichigo reported.

"Huh…what do you remember? Did you come across the hollow in that dark area you fell into?"

"Well," said the youth, grinning sheepishly and scratching the back of his neck, "actually, I don't remember a thing. I know _something_ or _someone _was there, but I don't remember them talking to me or doing anything bad…"

"Well, looks like the fall and whatever that thing was just depleted your reiatsu, but I think you'll live. I just think you should rest a bit."

"Rest, huh," Ichigo said, meeting the shopkeeper's eyes seductively, "Do I have to 'rest' alone?"

"Ah, no way!" the shopkeeper laughed, "I am so, not falling into that one. Get some sleep, Kurosaki-san! If you resist anymore, I'll have to knock you out! You want me to do that?"

Ichigo laughed softly, his eyes on Kisuke's. A moment later, the youth's eyes flashed an odd golden and Kisuke froze, staring. Slowly, Ichigo's body began to glow red with power. The light around him grew long red tendrils that wrapped around the entranced form of Kisuke, making the shopkeeper's eyes go blank and senseless. Under the spell of the youth's eyes, he moved forward onto the bed and into the youth's waiting arms. The two exchanged a bout of hungry, biting kisses and their hands shed each other's clothes quickly. Moments later, despite Kisuke's earlier protestations, the two were naked and entwined. The shopkeeper abandoned his usual attention to detail and took the younger man, almost unprepared. Ichigo accepted the heavy thrust of his lover's impatient body with equal enthusiasm, his hands clenching Kisuke's hips tightly and pulling him into each deep, fast thrust. Their eyes remained locked and the power flashed fitfully between them.

Finally, Kisuke gasped incoherently and thrust in deeply, holding the youth tightly and biting down on his shoulder as he released in long, seething pulses into Ichigo's body. The youth writhed heatedly against his lover, his own seed spilling out onto their skin. They lay, panting against each other and fell almost immediately into an unusually deep sleep.

The odd red power rose up between them several more times during the night, prompting more than a few more heated joinings, before the two collapsed with Kisuke still buried deeply in Ichigo's body. They slept, unmoving, after that until well into the morning.

Kisuke came awake with a start and caught his breath at the unexpected pleasure of not only finding himself already entrenched in his lover's body, but enticingly aroused. He blinked and gazed dizzily down into the youth's equally hungry eyes and shifted his hips slightly, making Ichigo groan and move in response.

"Oh gods…Kisuke!" the youth sighed, running his hands down the older shinigami's slender sides and pulling on his hips, "I thought you told me to rest. Am I wrong? Because I'll tell you, it looks to me like neither one of us did much resting last night. What the hell _was_ that?"

Kisuke laughed softly and sat up, bringing Ichigo up with him and settling the youth in his lap. The two fell silent and took their time, keeping their thrusts deep and slow, and their eyes focused warmly on each other. It was some time before their pleasure crested and they surrendered to a hail of softer, gentler kisses before falling back down on the bed, still entangled.

"Good morning," Ichigo panted softly.

Still half-dreaming gray eyes met his and Kisuke's hands caressed Ichigo's resting body for the simple pleasure of touch. The youth relaxed beneath him and the two started to doze off again.

"So what's going on?" Ichigo asked, "Why is it that all I feel like doing is staying in bed with you all day?"

"I don't know," Kisuke sighed sleepily, "but I feel the same way. Must be all the adrenaline from the mission. I think we're going to have to help Byakuya and Renji with more of those little bombing raids…especially if this is going to be the result, ne?"

"Hey, I have no objections," laughed the youth, teasing the shopkeeper into another round of slow, deep kisses.

"Do you have anything important to do today?" Kisuke asked, "If not, maybe I'll take you up on your suggestion to stay in bed all day."

"Augh," groaned Ichigo, pulling free of his lover's body, "Hate to disappoint you, but it's finals week. I think it would be good if I prepared a little for those."

"Hmmm, too bad," Kisuke whispered, licking a tender earlobe, "but there are things I should probably do, as well."

"Wanna have a shower before I go?" Ichigo asked, slipping out of bed and starting towards the bathroom.

"Sounds good," Kisuke said, moving to join him.

The two only meant to stand together underneath the hot spray and hold and touch each other. But those first innocent touches flared into deeper, more tempting caresses, and within minutes, the sexual heat between them rose up again.

"Kami, Kisuke," Ichigo moaned as he pressed his hands against the tiled wall and the shopkeeper took him from behind, "What the hell _is_ this? It's like I can't seem to get enough of you!"

"Yeah, I'm not exactly the picture of restraint, myself. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but I think we're starting to exceed our usual limits here. I'm getting a little curious as to why."

"Why?" Ichigo gasped as his body seized with pleasure and his release pulsed out onto Kisuke's hand, "You're damned amazing…that's why. Do we _need _another reason?"

"Nah," Kisuke chuckled, good naturedly, "I think that's plenty of reason."

He pressed his chest to the youth's strong back and thrust heavily into his body. The two fell silent except for their soft, panting breaths as pleasure took hold of the shopkeeper, sending his mind into a lovely headlong spin that lasted long after they separated, finished showering and parted ways.

For the rest of the day, his heart felt unnaturally light, and any thought of the ginger-haired youth who was his lover set him daydreaming about just how good it felt indulging in that slender, powerful body.

"Damn," muttered Kisuke as he found his concentration woefully lacking and had to abandon his lab work, "I haven't been this distracted by him since we first got together. I hope he's able to concentrate on those finals."

Across town, Ichigo bent over his exam paper, his eyes focused on the page, but his mind stealing back to his lovemaking with Kisuke. He shoved the thought away and hurried through the test, shaking his head now and again as the memories continued to rise up and distract him. He breathed a sigh of relief when the exam finally ended. He started to turn towards Kisuke's shop, but was stopped as Renji and Rukia flash stepped into view in front of him.

"Hey, guys," he said, smiling, "What's going on? Why are you here?"

"We're on assignment," Renji told him, "We've been sent to investigate reports of some odd hollow activity around the school, here, and the park near Kisuke's shop. Have you sensed anything?"

"No, actually," Ichigo replied, "But then, you know I suck at sensing those things. You should see if Uryuu has picked up on it."

"He's the one who first sensed it," Rukia said, nodding, "Is he here today?"

"Yeah," said Ichigo, pointing, "Over there. Hey, look, I have to go. I have another exam. I'll meet you back at Kisuke's later, okay."

Renji and Rukia nodded as Ichigo disappeared down the hallway. His distraction with the news the two shinigamis had brought annoyed him slightly as he worked at the second exam, but he was glad that it seemed to ease somewhat his inability to concentrate, due to his fixation with his lover. But even so, as the second exam drew to a close, he felt attraction rise up inside him again. He was glad Rukia and Renji were waiting at the shop as planned so that he could get himself under control again.

"Did you guys find anything?" he asked as they sat down at the table in Kisuke's dining room.

"No," Rukia sighed, "Whatever the hollow was doing here over the past day or so, it seems to have left, so we have no choice but to return to the Seireitei and report that."

"Sorry to hear that," Ichigo replied.

They ate for several minutes in near silence. Then, a thought occurred to the youth.

"Hey Renji," he said, catching the redhead's eye, "How are you and Byakuya doing with Hajime?"

"Oh gods," Rukia said, smiling and rolling her eyes, "You _had_ to get him started again, didn't you? He never shuts up about that baby. And even though he and Nii-sama aren't getting much sleep, they are definitely happier than I've ever seen them!"

"He's really great," Renji said, "he does wake us up all of the time. We finally had to take turns getting up, because the kid wants to eat when he's supposed to be sleeping and is out cold when it's actually a reasonable time to be awake. But he's so damned cute. He babbles at us like he's really talking and he eats like a horse…"

"Kinda like someone _we_ know, ne?" commented Rukia.

"Hey, shut up!" Renji said, smacking her on the head, "He loves when Byakuya tells him stories. He cuddles up into that scarf Taichou wears and his eyes get all dreamy, like Byakuya's do when he looks at the moon. I have to say that a baby is a lot of work, but they are the best thing in the world!"

Ichigo felt Kisuke's eyes touch him for a moment, and the sad, nostalgic feeling he had been having before the Hueco Mundo mission returned.

_He couldn't take his eyes off Renji when Renji was talking about that baby. Damn…I want so bad to make him happy like that. I love him so much._

_I'd give just about anything to bring him that kind of happiness…_


	4. Baby Blues

**Chapter 4: Baby Blues**

Ichigo flash stepped through the precipice world and dropped down into the Rukongai, just short of the main gate into the Seireitei. He waved briefly to the guards, who greeted him as he passed through in his way to Kuchiki Manor to meet Renji.

"Kurosaki-san!" called a male voice.

"Ah, Hisagi-san," he said, nodding.

Then he noticed the ninth division haori the man wore.

"You are a taichou now!" the substitute shinigami said, grinning, "Renji said you were training for it. He is too, but he is waiting to test until Byakuya is cleared to return to full duty."

"Hai," said Shuuhei, smiling back at him, "And I owe you thanks, Kurosaki-san. The sparring that you and Renji did with me to help me get stronger really made a big difference. So, I was wondering if you would be willing to spar with me at the squad exhibition games during the cherry blossom festival. All of the squads will be having officers perform exhibition matches."

"Sure, no problem," Ichigo agreed easily, "Just, ah, don't tell that damned Kenpachi that I'll be there. He'll start his crap again and I really don't want him attacking me while I'm trying to view the blossoms, ne?"

"Ah, I see your point. Don't worry, Kurosaki-san, "I won't tell him you are coming."

"Thanks. I'll see you around, Hisagi-san."

"Later, Kurosaki-san!" the ninth division taichou said, flash stepping away.

Ichigo continued on his way, enjoying the sunshine and the cool breeze that freshened the air. He slowed to a casual walk and smiled and exchanged greetings with several of the shinigamis who passed him in the streets. Some time later, he arrived at the gates of Kuchiki Manor and was allowed by the guards to pass. To his surprise, he did not find Renji, but a rather distraught Rukia.

"Hey," he said, good naturedly, "What's wrong? You look like you lost your best friend. What happened, Rukia?"

"W-well," the young woman said, sniffing, "It's Nii-sama. He and Renji had some kind of argument and…and now I can't find him. I found him by the koi pond and he was very upset, but then he yelled at me and told me to leave him alone. He left the garden and no one has seen him since! Ichigo, please, you have to help me find Nii-sama!"

"But, uh, where's Renji?"

"Just help me, will you? I'm not going to waste time worrying about that idiot when he upset Nii-sama!" Rukia insisted.

"Well…okay," Ichigo said, shaking his head and sighing, "Why don't you keep looking around here, and I'll go out that way. He might have gone to the waterfall or that meadow out that way."

"Oh!" said Rukia, brightening, "And while you're out there, check the graveyard, okay? Sometimes when he's upset, he goes to talk to my sister at her gravesite."

"Oh…okay, sure," the substitute shinigami said, giving his friend a supportive smile, "Don't worry, Rukia," he said bracingly, "I am sure that Byakuya is fine. I'll find him and try to talk some sense into him."

Ichigo gasped in surprise as he found himself shoved back against a stone wall and Rukia's face close to his.

"And NO fighting!" she snapped, "I know he's emotional right now, but it's just baby blues."

"B-baby blues?"

"It isn't his fault and you're not to pick a fight. If he threatens you, just come back here and I'll go talk to him or Renji will."

"But where is Renji?"

"Just get moving, idiot! You think this can wait all day?"

"Sheesh!" grumbled Ichigo, "You don't need to bite my head off! Talk about _Byakuya_ being emotional…"

"Shut up and find him!"

"Okay!" Ichigo shouted, sounding offended, "I'm going! Don't bust anything…"

He shook his head in disgust and flash stepped to the back gate, more in an effort to get away from his crabby friend than to find her missing brother. He muttered discontentedly as he made his way up the north trail and out to the cemetery. Finding it deserted, he turned back and walked along the forest trail and out to the waterfall that overlooked the large lake and meadow. He spotted a forlorn looking figure kneeling beneath one of the sakura trees and reaching up now and again to wipe his eyes with the back of his sleeve.

"B-byakuya?" he said tentatively, finding it hard to believe that the sixth division taichou would ever lower his pride enough, not just to cry, but to shed tears in front of anyone, especially him, "Hey, ah…are you…okay?"

The noble looked away quickly, but managed a short nod.

"Leave me," he said in a soft, muffled voice, "I am not in a state for company."

"Huh," huffed Ichigo, "Well, I'm not company. Actually, Rukia sent me looking for you. You freaked her out by yelling at her and running off."

"I am aware of that," the noble said quietly, "I will deal with Rukia later. You may tell her I am fine and she should not worry."

"How about you let me decide if there's reason to worry," Ichigo said, narrowing his eyes, "because I don't think you're a very good judge of that right now."

He waited a beat as Byakuya wiped his eyes again.

"So, ah, you and Renji…had an argument?" he went on carefully.

"That isn't your business," the noble said stiffly, "Go away."

"I'll go away after you tell me what you and Renji were fighting about."

"No."

"Let me say that again. I won't leave until you tell me what you and Renji were fighting about, so you might as well give up and tell me. Besides, if Renji did or said something stupid, I'll probably be the one he bitches to about it, so I'll hear about it one way or another. Wouldn't you rather I hear about it from you?"

He waited silently, allowing the temperamental noble to quietly consider his words. Byakuya frowned and wiped his eyes again, and Ichigo marveled at how such a proud person could shed tears and still look just as dignified. Byakuya finally released a short breath and his shoulders sagged slightly.

"It…was something he said," the noble admitted quietly, "And I don't know why it affected me so badly. I just…reacted."

"O-kay," Ichigo said, pausing to give Byakuya time to explain in more detail, "What did that bumbling idiot say that upset you?"

He didn't miss the small quirk at the corner of the noble's lips or the fleeting look of gratitude that flashed across Byakuya's face.

"He said…he said that it was a given that I was going to have to leave my clothes out a little bit after having Hajime…that I should expect to be heavier and not lose all of my 'baby weight.'"

Ichigo stared at him in confusion.

"What?"

Byakuya cleared his throat softly.

"I didn't take exception to the information exactly, because Unohana taichou warned me that childbirth would leave me subtly changed, but she said it would hardly be noticeable to anyone but me…just a slight change in the thickness of certain areas and a pound extra here or there possibly. So I was having my clothing altered back to normal size and he informed me, rather loudly that I shouldn't have it taken in too far or it would be too tight for my 'ass' to fit into. And he added that it didn't even consider what would happen if we had additional children."

"Oh…" said Ichigo, "Shit. He really put his foot in it, ne?"

Byakuya gave him a tentative nod.

"So what did you do? Yell at him? Kick him out?"

"I'm afraid I became overwrought over it. It has been taxing, not being able to sleep properly and having my body at the mercy of pregnancy for so long. I lost my temper and hit him."

"And he stomped off. Is that it? Where did he go?"

"The fourth division."

Ichigo frowned.

"You hit him that hard?" he mused.

"I broke his nose."

"Wh-what? You broke his nose? Over a little comment about your weight? Come on, Byakuya. You and I both know Renji doesn't know when to shut up…"

He trailed off as fresh tears leaked onto the noble's pristine features.

"I know…and I apologized when I realized what I had done. But he was in pain and he was bleeding. And he refused to let me touch him. He said I'd 'lost it' and that I should be committed because I was a 'stark raving lunatic.' And he was right. I shouldn't have hit him. I know that in my head, but…"

"Hey," said Ichigo, stepping forward and carefully setting a hand on the distraught man's shoulder, "Renji said that Unohana taichou told you that you would still have mood swings after the baby was born. Renji told Kisuke and me that. He knew you were kinda vulnerable and he was really clumsy with his words. And when he called you crazy, he was probably just reacting to the pain. I bet he comes back here all apologetic and makes it up to you in no time. And if he doesn't, I'll take him out to the training grounds and knock some sense into him, okay?"

Byakuya swallowed hard and wiped his eyes again.

"Arigato, Ichigo," he said softly, "I think you were right to make me talk about it. It seems to help. But I don't think I'll really feel better until I know Renji isn't holding a grudge. I know it sounds stupid, but…but I worry about him leaving me sometimes."

"What? Renji is crazy about you and the baby! Why would he do something like that?"

"I don't know. He…ah…when I was pregnant, he was spending a great deal of time helping Hisagi Shuuhei train for the taichou's exam."

"Hey, I was there," Ichigo said quickly, "Renji was all business. He wasn't messing around with Shuuhei, really."

"I know. But you have to remember. I was very pregnant and very cognizant of my body at the time. Add to that the fact that I am older than Renji…and Hisagi is more his peer…"

"And I start to see how this whole thing happened. Jeez, Byakuya, I think everything will be fine, but you and Renji need to talk. You should find him and talk this out…now."

Byakuya nodded and Ichigo could see that having an action to take was helping him to calm himself.

"I want to, but…I have to take care of Hajime this afternoon…and we cannot really talk if we are both focused on the baby. I wonder…would you mind looking after him for a bit?"

"M-me?" Ichigo asked, his eyes widening, "Well, sure, I guess. Why not just have your attendants…"

"My attendants are all busy with preparations for the cherry blossom viewing we are hosting. I cannot spare anyone. That's why I was supposed to watch him while you and Renji went out to survey that listening post in Hueco Mundo."

"Yeah, shouldn't we worry about that first?" the substitute shinigami asked.

"Actually," said the noble, "it can wait for the short time that it would take for the two of us to talk…and I would feel much better if we did not leave each other before resolving our differences."

"Okay, sure. No problem," the youth said.

He waited silently while the noble brushed away the last stray tears and rose. Then he followed Byakuya back to the main wing of the manor.

"You know Byakuya," Ichigo commented as they walked side by side, "I don't know what that fool was talking about. You look just as slim as you did before."

"Arigato," said the noble, a flash of gratitude touching his features again, "Although when Renji made that comment, he was observing me without clothing."

Ichigo forced down a laugh that threatened to bust out of him, choked slightly and nodded.

"He really _is_ stupid sometimes."

"Occasionally," Byakuya agreed, "but he makes up for it the rest of the time."

There was something very touching in the tone Byakuya used when talking about his lover, and even though they were quarreling, he could see that they were very much in love.

He was even more touched when Renji suddenly came around the corner ahead of them and slid to a stop in front of them, his face penitent…even more so when he registered that Byakuya had been upset enough to cry.

"Oi…Byakuya," he said quietly, biting at his lips, "Look, uh…I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean anything by it. I just wasn't thinking…"

Byakuya swallowed hard.

"I apologize for acting like a lunatic and breaking your nose," he said softly, "I overreacted."

Renji shook his head dismissively.

"Unohana taichou set me straight. I asked for it. And saying something like that when you were just getting your body back after pregnancy…"

"This kinda makes me glad only noble borns can get pregnant," commented Ichigo.

He froze as he realized that someone else was standing on the walkway just behind Renji. He nearly groaned aloud as Kisuke peeked around Renji.

"Sorry to barge in, but I got a hell butterfly about helping out with the preparations for the cherry blossom viewing."

"Ah, yes," said Byakuya, "Urahara-san, my attendant will give you the samples for that. You didn't have to come all of this way. I could have messengered them."

"Ah, no problem," the shopkeeper assured him, "I wouldn't miss a last chance to see Ichigo off anyway."

"Ah, very well," the noble said, nodding.

He turned to Ichigo.

"Now, if it's not too much trouble, Ichigo, Hajime is in the next room. His bottle has been prepared and he just needs to eat and be burped, and then you could take him in the sling and walk up to the waterfall and back so he gets some fresh air."

Kisuke blinked.

"I thought you and Renji were leaving," he said, frowning.

"They are," Byakuya confirmed, "but Ichigo was kind enough to offer to take care of Hajime so that Renji and I could…talk."

"Ah…"

"You…want to talk, eh?" Renji said, meeting Byakuya's almost demure gaze, "Does that mean that you've forgiven me for being such an ass?"

Byakuya's lips quirked cutely.

""Perhaps," he said sedately, "Or perhaps I want you to pay for your rudeness and then I will forgive you."

"Whoa…TMI, guys!" Ichigo laughed, turning towards the baby's room.

He looked back and watched as Renji's arm wrapped around Byakuya and the two turned into their bedroom. Kisuke turned to Ichigo.

"Well, I have to go. Things to do, you know," he said.

Ichigo could hear the slight tension in his voice.

"Kisuke," the youth said, stepping closer to him, "I really didn't mean anything by what I said. I was…just…talking about how complicated things got for Byakuya when he got pregnant. I…"

"Hey, you have nothing to worry about," Kisuke said, trying to sound nonchalant, "It's not like I've actually figured out how to achieve it anyway. And if you don't want to, then you don't have to."

"Kisuke…I really didn't mean it like that. It just…I guess it kinda got to me, seeing how complicated things get when there are babies involved. I'm hardly more than a kid, myself. It's all just a little overwhelming is all. It doesn't mean that…"

"I know. Don't worry about it," Kisuke said, turning away, "I'll see you when you come back from Hueco Mundo."

Ichigo almost let the shopkeeper continue on his way, but as he observed Kisuke's back, Byakuya's words came back to him.

_I would feel much better if we did not leave each other before resolving our differences._

He heard the sentiment then, beneath the thought.

_We live dangerous lives, and if one of us should die, we would not want the other to live in torment…_

He sighed and swallowed nervously.

"Hey, uh, Kisuke?"

The shopkeeper stopped and looked back at him in askance.

"Do you really have to go? Because, I think it would be…great…if you could join Hajime and me for that feeding and walk. Can you spare the time?"

The look that settled over his lover's face told Ichigo he had definitely done the right thing.

_I didn't mean to make you think I don't want to have children with you. I just need time to think about it…to make it real in my head. It's not just the added responsibility. It's that having kids changes things…and even people who really love each other are going to struggle…_

"I think Tessai can manage okay without me for a bit," Kisuke said quietly.

He touched the youth on the shoulder, freezing him in place for a moment.

"Thanks…Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled.

"Thank you," he chuckled, "I'm not sure I'm ready to handle a baby all on my own."

"Ah, babies are great," Kisuke said, stepping into Hajime's room.

He looked down into the infant's eyes for a moment and smiled, waiting as Hajime's large gray eyes studied him and registered calm acceptance, then he lifted the baby into his arms and settled down in a chair. Hajime latched onto the bottle and sucked happily away at it as Kisuke hummed absently and watched.

"See, he just needed a moment to get used to me because I'm not who he usually sees. Come here."

Ichigo crossed the room and sat down next to the shopkeeper.

"Have you spent time around babies?" he asked.

"I helped take care of my sisters."

"Hmmm, but they weren't exactly infants."

"No."

"Here," Kisuke said, shifting and carefully depositing Hajime in the youth's lap.

Hajime squealed a bit snappishly at having been deprived of his bottle.

"Argh, you ticked him off. You can sure tell he's Byakuya's kid, ne?"

"Ah, he'll settle. Feed him."

Ichigo slipped the nipple of the bottle into Hajime's noisy mouth and sighed in relief as the baby settled and started to suck at the bottle again. He gazed down at the baby, trying to imagine that it was their child, and that he was feeding the baby Kisuke and he wanted to have together. Hajime shifted and pulled away from the bottle, beginning to cry.

"What's wrong?" asked Ichigo, "Did I make him mad somehow?"

"Nah," said Kisuke, lifting the baby and placing him on a towel he placed on his shoulder.

He patted Hajime's back lightly a few times and chuckled as the baby burped loudly, then strained slightly and pooped.

"Oh, man…" Ichigo groaned, "I was hoping to avoid that, if I could."

Kisuke laughed.

"Baby eats, baby's going to burp, poop…"

He broke off as Hajime burped again and formula erupted from his mouth into the towel. He grimaced as some leaked onto the shopkeeper's clothes. Kisuke shook his head.

"And spit up," he finished.

"Is he all right? Should we get someone?" Ichigo asked, looking a little alarmed, "And what's taking those two so long anyway!"

"Don't worry," Kisuke assured him, "Babies spit up a lot. It's perfectly normal."

He carried Hajime to a changing table and took off his soiled clothes and diaper.

"Ugh…" groaned Ichigo.

"Yeah, not a lot of fun," agreed Kisuke, "But when we're done, we can take that walk."

He laughed softly.

"And I would figure on Byakuya and Renji taking a while, if you know what I mean."

"Huh? You mean they're in there having sex?" Ichigo said, a bit more loudly than he meant to.

"They probably don't get as much time alone together, you know, because they're so involved with the baby. We'll just make this a long walk."

They left the manor and passed through the gardens and out the back gates. Ichigo held Hajime in a front pack and reached down to stroke the baby's tiny fingers as they walked.

"Man," he said softly, "Sometimes I feel like I don't know anything…"

"Yeah," chuckled Kisuke, "Babies are kind of a 'learn as you go' creature. But if you consider how many people there are in the three worlds, you see most people survive it…and enjoy it enough to have more than one."

"M-more than one?" Ichigo said nervously, "Even the thought of one scares me. I mean, don't think it means I don't want one…or more. I just…I don't know."

"Hey," said Kisuke, slipping an arm around him and kissing him, "It's okay. It's not like we're having this dream baby of ours any time soon. And there isn't any hurry. Ichigo, we can take whatever time we need, okay? Don't worry about it. It'll happen when we're ready."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, smiling down at Hajime and kissing the baby on the forehead, "It's not like it's going to happen very soon…"


	5. Awakening

**Chapter 5: Awakening**

_Ichigo heard a familiar feminine voice and opened his eyes. He was chilled to find himself back in Hueco Mundo._

"_Man, I've spent way too much time in this place!" he muttered, looking around at the dark landscape, cold swirls of sand and the hazy crescent moon, "I've been here so much that I even dream about it. The next time Byakuya or Renji asks, I'm telling them no."_

_He looked around for a garganta, but found none. He reached out with his senses and found an oddly familiar presence in the darkness ahead of him. Catching his breath in surprise, he looked around and found the stark, blackened remains of the listening post they had destroyed and off to the right of it, the even blacker patch of desert into which he had fallen, and where…something…had happened._

_He moved forward cautiously, masking his reiatsu as best he could and seeking that familiar reiatsu._

"_Come to me," the feminine voice said softly, "I will feed on you and we will talk."_

"_Feed on me?" Ichigo repeated in a low, confrontational tone, "I don't think so. Show yourself! Or are you too much of a coward to let me see you?"_

_A pair of catlike, glowing, red and golden starburst eyes appeared in the darkness ahead of him. Slowly, the black mist thinned and he could see the outline of a woman. He remembered then what his conscious mind had been unable to recall._

"_You…" he said, narrowing his eyes, "I remember you."_

_She moved forward, calling a soft red light to her hand to reveal more of her lovely, demonic features. Her skin was blood red and tightly drawn across a stark, beautiful face…almond shaped eyes with catlike pupils, long waves of satin black hair that swirled around her, the swirls of black mist obscuring the naked curves of crimson flesh. Long, slender red fingers and toes ended in silvery claws that he didn't have to see clearly to know they were razor edged. Her hollow hole was perfectly centered between two large, mist-obscured breasts that swelled and relaxed at a steady, taunting pace as they stood, facing each other._

"_Welcome back, Kurosaki Ichigo," she said, smiling and extending a clawed hand, "You have responded to my call. And now, you will feed me. Come."_

"_I said no," Ichigo growled softly, his hand moving to find Zangetsu._

_His breath left him as he realized that he was unarmed, and that, as the realization fell over him, the hollow flash stepped in to attack him. He flash stepped away, only to see her appear in front of him. He called for Zangetsu to return to his hand, but nothing happened. He backed slowly in the direction of the shinigami base, but knew better than to think that she would let him reach it._

"_What are you doing?" he demanded, "How were you able to bring me back here? Tell me!"_

_The demon gave him a bright, fanged smile._

"_We are connected because of that first feeding," she told him, "I went inside your mind. And while there, I learned all that there is to know of you. You see, I want to grow stronger…and to do that, I need to eat strong creatures. I do not greatly enjoy this, but I am a hollow, and it is the only way to gain strength. But I do not only take. As I took from you, I found the seed of your lover inside you and bound your reiatsu and his together with it to create a small gift for you."_

"_You…what?" Ichigo whispered, staring._

"_I could have just eaten you then," she said, moving forward and running her claws lightly down the side of his face._

_Ichigo tried to flash step away, but found himself gripped and held in place by the hollow's power._

"_Let go of me!" he demanded._

"_But I show my deep appreciation for the sacrifice of powerful flesh and blood," she went on, as though she hadn't heard him._

_Her hands cupped his face and red light flared around them. Ichigo felt raw power being sucked out of his body and watched in horror as it left him in a red trail that looked like blood, and flowed into the hollow's open mouth. She devoured it slowly, her eyes hazing over and blinking lazily as she savored it. She smiled at his confusion and continued to feed on him until his legs buckled beneath him, and he dropped onto the cold sand. His body was wracked with hard shivers and he fought for breath, sensing that she had fed until his body could no longer bear it, and had begun to die._

"_You're a monster!" he hissed, "Nothing but a cold, dead monster!"_

_She dropped to her knees in front of him and eased him down onto his back._

"_I am no monster," she said softly, her claws disappearing and her hands moving to heal the marks she had unwittingly left on him as she fed, "I have needs, just as you do. Do you think that a spider kills because it is a monster? A spider kills because it is hungry. And nature made the spider to kill and drink the blood of its victims. It is not an act of violence, but one of self-preservation. You stumbled into my home, my trap. Would you expect the spider to let its prey go? Of course not."_

_She ran her fingers through the youth's hair and gently ran her tongue along his lips, stealing stray bits of reiatsu._

"_You would think that a spider was defying nature if it did not kill. And it would certainly be defying nature if I did not feed on what fell under my power. Would you have me starve?"_

"_I don't care if you do starve!" Ichigo snapped, struggling to move, "You may be responding to nature by trying to kill me, but I'm doing the same thing by resisting! Would you have me give in without a fight?"_

_The hollow's smile was almost apologetic._

"_We are beyond the point where you are able to fight for your life. I have invaded your body and forced it into subservience. When I call for you, your body will obey me, and you will come to me. Though your mind and heart are free to rebel, you have no way to fight anymore. I leave you alive only so that you may enjoy that one last wish I have granted you. But when your wish has been granted, I will call for you one last time…and then I will devour you."_

"_I'll find a way to stop you!" Ichigo insisted, "No matter what it takes, I'll…"_

_He trailed off as her eyes bored down into his, her power took hold of him again and held him still._

"_I am sated," she said placidly, "Go."_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya's tranquil voice said questioningly.

The ginger-haired youth took a short breath and tried to sit up. He felt the noble's palm touch his chest, pushing him back down. His eyes blinked open and he found himself in a guest room at Kuchiki Manor…the same one that he and Kisuke had shared on their last visit. But Kisuke was not there now. Byakuya leaned over him, his long, black hair unrestrained and dressed in a sleeping yukata. Renji appeared in the doorway behind the noble.

"Is he awake?" the redhead asked, sounding worried.

Outside the building, thunder sounded.

"Yes, but he hasn't quite regained his senses yet," the noble responded.

"I'm…okay," Ichigo said, trying to sit up again.

"Lie down," Byakuya said reprovingly, "Your reiatsu is so low, I do not know how you are still conscious."

"Should I get Hanatarou?" Renji asked.

Byakuya shook his head.

"The storm is still too strong. We have to wait until it lets up. And in any case, the drain on his reiatsu has stopped now."

Ichigo pushed Byakuya's hands away and sat up, then immediately fell back against the pillows.

"Wh-what happened to me?" he asked weakly, "How did I get here?"

"You do not remember?" Byakuya asked softly.

"No," Ichigo groaned as a wave of nausea swept over him, "Oh…oh kami, I think I'm going to…"

Byakuya hastily provided a wastebasket and the youth leaned over the edge of the bed and heaved fitfully. He was amazed at how good it felt when the noble's slender hand slid down his back and healing reiatsu pulsed into him.

"S-sorry, Byakuya," he managed.

"Are you delirious?" the noble asked calmly, handing him a cup of hot tea and watching him take a few small sips, "Why are you apologizing? You cannot help it if you are ill…or injured."

"Well," said Ichigo, panting softly as he recovered, "Which is it? Am I sick…or did something happen to me?"

"We were hoping that you could tell us that," said Renji, "You and I had just finished a four week mission in Hueco Mundo. We were camped in the desert, a few hours from the shinigami base there and you were on watch. I woke up because of some weird reiatsu swell in the area, and I found you collapsed outside the cave we were staying in. No marks on your body. No apparent injuries I could see. Your reiatsu had been drained and I sensed a trace of another odd reiatsu on you, but it dissipated too fast for me to figure it out. So I carried you to the shinigami base and we were going to transport you to Kisuke in Karakura Town, but all hell broke loose when the storm hit, and Kuchiki Manor was the closest place to take cover. The Seireitei is a mess! Power is out everywhere. Communications are down. Hell, it's just one big, screwy mess!"

"D-does Kisuke know I'm…here?"

"I don't know," Renji admitted, frowning, "We lost communications while I was trying to tell him. I wanted to send a hell butterfly, but it wouldn't be any use, even if it did somehow manage to get there. No one's coming through this storm, Kurosaki. No one but a fool like Zaraki would dare. Don't worry about it, though. We have everything we need here, and as soon as the storm clears, Byakuya and I will take you home."

"That is, if you are in a fit state for the trip," Byakuya added.

"Well, I'm fine," Ichigo insisted, "I feel a lot better now."

Byakuya nodded.

"Your reiatsu has begun to restore itself," he acknowledged, "Whatever was draining it before has stopped. But I would suggest having Kisuke take a closer look at you. No one knows all of the types of hollows that are out in that desert. It is best to be cautious when unusual or unexplained symptoms flare up."

"Okay," Ichigo said, lying back against the pillows, "I'll have him look me over when I get home."

Byakuya and Renji turned as Byakuya's attendant's voice rose up in the hallway, sounding somewhat flustered.

"They…they're in there, but sir…how did you…?"

Ichigo smiled as he felt a touch of much-desired reiatsu and Kisuke stepped into the room.

"Kisuke!" exclaimed Renji, "How in the hell did you manage to get through that killer storm out there? I thought everything was shut down!"

"I thought so as well," added Byakuya.

"Ah," said Kisuke, removing his drenched hat and shaking water out of the ends of his hair, "I have my ways."

He looked down at Ichigo.

"I would have brought Orihime, but it was going to be hard enough to get myself through. But it looks like whatever was wrong with Ichigo, you seem to have dealt with it. He looks fine."

"I noticed that," said Byakuya, nodding, "but you should be aware that when Renji found him collapsed at their campsite, Ichigo's reiatsu had been drained, he was unconscious and there was an odd, unidentified trace of reiatsu on his body that was not his. His reiatsu remained abysmally low through the night and only just began to restore itself."

"So…it seems like whatever it was, my system handled it, ne?" said Ichigo.

"Probably," said the shopkeeper, but I'll need to run some tests when we get home."

"Will you knock it off?" Ichigo complained, feeling much more at home with Kisuke's arrival, "I don't like people poking and prodding me to satisfy their curiosity! Just let me rest. I told you. I feel a lot better now!"

Kisuke chuckled softly, feeling relieved at seeing that his lover did not appear to be badly damaged or ill.

"Well," he said, eyeing the youth, "It seems like the only way to be sure you'll actually rest is to stay here and make sure that you stay in bed. I'll volunteer, if that's okay."

"Sounds good to me," said Renji, nodding.

"Byakuya-san," Kisuke said, "If you don't mind, my clothes got a bit wet…"

"Ah, yes," said the noble, "Torio…"

"Hai, Kuchiki-sama."

The attendant moved to the closet and brought back a dark gray yukata, which Kisuke took and carried into the bathroom to change. When he returned, Byakuya, Renji and Torio had gone, the doors to the inner hallway and gardens were closed, and Ichigo was dozing contentedly in the bed.

The shopkeeper slipped into bed and under the covers, wrapping his body around the ginger-haired youth's and breathing in his warm, sleepy scent. Ichigo stirred in his arms and turned, then the two exchanged several long, hungry kisses of greeting.

"Oh…hell, I missed you!" groaned Ichigo, nuzzling closer and loosing the ties on their clothing so they could let their bare skin touch.

"That was a long assignment," Kisuke agreed, "but Byakuya is back on full duty now, so they won't need you to fill in as much anymore."

"Yeah," agreed the youth, "I'm looking forward to relaxing with you and taking it easy for awhile."

"Sounds good," Kisuke said, letting his hands explore Ichigo's body absently as they laid together, listening to the storm outside.

Ichigo kissed the elder shinigami harder and pressed his hips forward, teasing his lover's hot length with his, and meeting Kisuke's eyes playfully.

"What are you doing?" Kisuke asked, smiling and looking amused, "I just got a garbled message about something happening or you being sick, and as soon as I show up, you're wanting to fool around. Now, either you faked it to get me to race through the storm so you could take advantage of me, which I really doubt you would do…or you are letting your lust overtake your common sense, which I think is the more likely answer. _Lie down and rest_, Ichigo. There's time enough to fool around after."

"I told you," Ichigo insisted, "I feel much better. My reiatsu is restoring itself. And we are all alone in this really comfortable bed and have nothing to do until this storm is over. I'm just thinking we should take the hint and enjoy our time together."

He rolled onto Kisuke's chest and sat up, straddling the elder shinigami's muscular body and looking down at where their hardened members rested against each other.

"I haven't even seen you for a month," the youth said in a softer, more seductive voice, "I'd have to be stupid and senseless to feel your naked skin touch mine and not make love with you."

Kisuke took a resisting breath and held it for a moment, looking into the youth's deep brown eyes. He let it go again almost helplessly and nodded briefly.

"Have to admit, I'm too tempted myself. But…if you start to feel bad, you stop. I'm still not convinced you're okay exactly."

Ichigo smiled and leaned down to kiss him. The smile remained as he positioned himself over the elder shinigami's thickened arousal and, bracing his hands on Kisuke's shoulders, took his length inside slowly, in short, gentle movements. He paused with Kisuke buried deep inside him and looked down into the shopkeeper's hazy gray eyes.

"I really missed being with you," he said, watching the sweet reaction in his lover's face, and feeling the soft tremor that ran through his body.

Kisuke's hands rose and set themselves on his shoulders, then slid lazily down his torso and settled on his hips. They tightened briefly, coaxing the youth's powerful body into motion atop him. They stopped talking and let their bodies speak for them, locking eyes, tightening hands and thrusting warmly against each other as the thunder sounded again and the rain pounded down outside.

Soft, hissing breaths escaped them, rising into restless, happy moans of delight. Kisuke's hands left the youth's hips and tightened around Ichigo's hands where they still gripped his shoulders. He held them almost possessively and thrust upward hard into the youth's writhing body. Ichigo's breath caught and he loosed a deep, languid groan of completion. His eyes glazed over and he collapsed forward onto his lover's chest as his hot release pulsed out and onto their skin. He groaned again and his eyes closed as dizziness swept him into darkness and the last thing he felt was Kisuke's incredible heat, filling him.

"Damn it," the shopkeeper sighed, his hands taking hold of the younger shinigami's sweat misted face, "I knew we shouldn't have done this…"

"I'm okay," the youth managed, dragging himself to the surface one last time, "I'm fine."

"Liar…" Kisuke panted softly in return.


	6. Parasite

**Chapter 6: Parasite**

Ichigo tossed and turned in his sleep, shivering and moaning softly. He tried to open his eyes, but his mind seemed too foggy and his body felt oddly weak, as though he had been exerting himself heavily. He turned to wake Kisuke, then remembered that he had been at home and hadn't returned to the shop, because his stomach had been bothering him before.

"Ugh…" he groaned, sitting up slowly.

He swayed a little and spots danced before his eyes, but he managed to remain upright. He stood, then sat back down again as nausea swept over him.

"Oh," he moaned, closing his eyes, "Oh, I feel like crap…"

The swell of discomfort in his stomach increased and he was forced to work his way to his feet again and to make a run for the bathroom. Thankfully, because it was late at night, his sisters weren't inside, refusing to hurry. He ran in, shut the door and dropped to his knees, emptying his stomach and hoping the sounds he made wouldn't wake anyone. The spots he had seen before, returned and he was forced to curl up on the floor for a few minutes as weakness swept over him again and everything went dark and still.

He drifted in and out of consciousness. He wasn't sure for how long. The house remained quiet, his father being on night shift at the clinic and his sisters apparently sleeping too soundly to notice. He was especially glad for that fact when he had to lower himself to crawling back to his room.

"Kon?" he called softly, letting himself collapse after closing the door, "Kon, wake up!"

"Ungh," grunted the mod soul, rolling his stuffed body over on the bed, "Nee-chan…"

"Hey!" Ichigo called more loudly.

He reached out and used a chair to get back onto his feet, then dropped gracelessly back into bed. A moment later, nausea swept over him again.

"Oh…oh crap," he moaned, reaching over and nudging Kon, "Would you wake up?"

"Ungh," grunted Kon, then his eyes opened and fixed sleepily on Ichigo.

He sat up quickly, unnerved at how pale the youth looked. He put a stuffed paw on Ichigo's forehead and frowned.

"What's wrong? Are you sick, Ichi? You want me to go get your dad?"

"He's working late," Ichigo said, breathing slowly to try to offset the nausea, "Besides, I think this is something that Kisuke should deal with."

He trailed off, groaning and wrapping an arm around his midsection.

"I was hoping it would go away, but…"

"But just like me, it came right back to give you another hard smack, ne?" Kon said, trying to distract him using humor.

"Cut it out," Ichigo groaned, "I need you to do something for me. I need you to go and bring Urahara-san."

Kon's eyes widened.

"Is it that bad?" he asked, "Cause it seems like your reiatsu is really low! Should you shift to shinigami form so that I can carry you?"

"No," Ichigo moaned, "because I don't know if you'd just be sick too, ne?"

"All right!" said Kon, bounding to the window, "I'll go and get Urahara-san. I'll be back so fast, that you won't even know I was gone!"

"Oh," groaned Ichigo as the mod soul disappeared, "Kami, I wish that was true!"

He turned onto his side so that he could curl around his pillow and look out at the stars to distract himself. He had almost drifted off again, when nausea took him so quickly that he barely had time to make it to the bathroom, before throwing up again. He got up slowly and rinsed his mouth, then dizziness stole over him and he slid down the wall and curled into a ball on the floor again. He wasn't sure if he went back to sleep or if he lost consciousness, but the next thing he knew, he felt his lover's arms wrap around him. He was lifted carefully and given an admonishment to stay still and be quiet, then he felt the soft lurch of flash steps as he was carried out of his house and across town to Urahara's shop. He was carried inside and deposited in Kisuke's bed. He heard Kisuke say something to Tessai about tea, then he felt Kisuke slide into bed next to him and curl around him, placing his hands on his aching abdomen.

"Just close your eyes and try to sleep, okay?" Kisuke said reassuringly, "I'll figure out what's going on, but you need to rest. Kon was right. Your reiatsu is really depleted. I'll restore it and we'll have some ginger tea and see where we are, ne?"

"H-hai," the youth managed, his teeth chattering softly from the chills that were passing through him.

He closed his eyes and everything seemed to drift away again. He was vaguely aware of being lifted and told to drink. He managed a few sips of the soothing tea, then fell back into Kisuke's embrace and dropped off to sleep. He woke later to find himself sweating and Kisuke gently addressing it with a warmed, wet washcloth. He slept better after that, with Kisuke's body curled around his and providing both warmth and a comforting swell of reiatsu that wrapped around him and helped to restore his own.

He knew that morning must have come and gone, but he couldn't seem to drag himself out of the darkness. And every time he came close to the surface, Kisuke was still there, holding him securely, kissing him and caressing him until he dropped off to sleep again. He wasn't sure how long it had been, when he felt the fog around him begin to lift and he woke fully.

He opened his eyes and found calm, gray eyes looking back at him. Kisuke smiled at him and handed him a cup of tea. Ichigo found he had the strength to sit up again without the spots appearing before his eyes. He sat quietly in bed, sipping at the tea as Kisuke watched and continued to feed his body with healing reiatsu.

"Thanks, Kisuke," he said gratefully, "Sorry I had to wake you up in the middle of the night like that."

"That's okay," the shopkeeper assured him, "I'm just glad to see you awake again. You know, Ichigo, you slept for two days."

"I…did?" the asked, furrowing his brow, "I had no idea I was out of it for so long. What happened? Why did I get so sick?"

"Sick?" Kisuke asked, frowning, "Ichigo, I was under the impression that something attacked you. You don't remember anything about that?"

"I was…attacked? Really?" Ichigo said, confusion making him feel weak again, "I' don't remember being attacked. I remember going to bed…and then waking up from a nightmare and feeling awful."

"You lost consciousness again…like before," Kisuke said, "Four weeks ago, during that storm. Remember?"

"Ah…yeah, I guess. But I don't remember anything from that time either. Do you mean that this thing, whatever attacked me, is following me around? Really? Can it do that without me sensing it? And wouldn't I remember being attacked?"

"I don't know," said Kisuke, shaking his head, "Maybe not. Now, you say you woke from a nightmare. Do you remember anything from it?"

Ichigo shook his head, then was immediately sorry as nausea swept over him again.

"Oh no," he sighed, leaning forward, "Damn it, not again!"

He barely made it into the bathroom before being sick again. He knelt on the floor afterward with Kisuke's arms wrapped around him and the shopkeeper's head rested on his shoulder.

"We really need to do a deep scan on you and find out what's going on here," the shopkeeper said quietly, "I tried to tell you that a month ago when you came back from the Seireitei."

"I didn't feel that bad, and I didn't have any problems until now…well, not like this, anyway…not the reiatsu draining. I just had a lot of stomach aches. But that could be nerves."

"Well, I think it's pretty clear that this isn't just your nerves getting to you now," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "So will you please stop being so stubborn and let me do that deep scan?"

Ichigo sighed and leaned into Kisuke's embrace.

"Sure," he said, smiling as Kisuke nuzzled closer and laced their fingers together, "Urahara-san, I'm sorry I worried you. Go ahead and do whatever you need to."

He couldn't help but feel touched at the relief that flooded the other man's features. He almost objected as Kisuke lifted him and carried him back to the bedroom, then called for Tessai and leaned over him.

"This won't hurt a bit," he promised, waiting as Tessai handed him a set of electrodes that he pressed to different parts of the youth's body.

He started at Ichigo's head, soft light flaring around his hands and around the attached electrodes as the deep scan of his body commenced. He felt a soft tingling in the area being scanned, but the feeling wasn't uncomfortable, so he rested quietly, and even drifted off a few times as the two shinigamis slowly took readings on him from head to toe.

"How long will it take to get the results of the scan?" he asked.

"A few minutes for the general scan and a few hours for the deeper one. I can tell you right now that your reiatsu was drained, but with the healing I gave you, it has restored itself. I think it may be some kind of parasitic hollow you might have picked up in Hueco Mundo. There are a lot of odd hollows out there. We're always discovering a new one here or there, so…"

"What do you do to get rid of one?" the youth asked, looking slightly rattled.

"Don't worry," Kisuke chuckled, "It's not painful. And besides, the hollow may not be with you. We've completed much of the scan and I haven't found it yet. So just be patient and we'll have the full readings later today."

"The scan is complete, boss," Tessai reported.

"Good," said Kisuke, climbing out of the bed and standing, "I'll take that right to the lab and get started on it."

He started towards the door, then stopped.

"Tessai, can you get Ichigo something to eat. He's been asleep and has had only sips of tea for the last few days. I guess I don't have to ask if you're hungry, ne Ichigo?"

"I'm starving!" the youth exclaimed, sitting up, "And I have a craving for something spicy…like with curry in it."

Kisuke frowned suddenly and his lips quirked.

"What's wrong?" asked the youth.

"I thought you didn't like curry…"

"Huh," said Ichigo, "I guess I didn't before, but I just feel like eating it now."

"All right," said the shopkeeper, shaking his head, "Give him something with curry, then."

"And watermelon," added Ichigo.

"C-curry and watermelon?" Tessai said, blinking.

"Yeah, that sounds good," said the youth, closing his eyes and leaning back against the pillows, "Just put some curry on a big slice of watermelon and that would be good."

"Curry…_on_…watermelon?"

"That's what I said," repeated Ichigo, opening an eye and looking up at the confused shinigami, "You have a problem with that?"

"Well, it does sound kind of odd, but…give him what he wants," said Kisuke, laughing softly and flash stepping away.

"All right," said Tessai, clearing his throat, "Curry on watermelon. Will there be anything else?"

"You know, actually, I was thinking," said Ichigo, "Maybe instead of curry, you could just get me some watermelon with a little honey dribbled on it."

"H-honey?" queried Tessai.

He sighed and shook his head.

"Watermelon with honey dribbled on it," he repeated, as though to make certain he'd heard right.

"Yeah, thanks, Tessai," Ichigo said, beginning to drift of again.

By the time Tessai returned with the watermelon, the youth was snoring softly and looked so comfortable that Tessai balked at waking him. Instead, he left the watermelon at his bedside and left the room, stopping in the doorway, looking back and shaking his head in confusion.

"Watermelon and honey?" he repeated.

He stood for a moment, thinking about it.

"Watermelon and honey…"

He looked at the piece of watermelon at Ichigo's bedside questioningly, then moved closer and broke off a small piece. He took a bite and sat, thinking. He tilted his head, then smiled.

"Watermelon and honey," he said again, "Wouldn't have thought of it."

XXXXXXXXXX

Kisuke fed the information from the deep scan into the larger computer and waited as it was compiled and ordered. Then he set the parameters for the medical report and sent the machine to work on what had been gathered. He slipped out to the kitchen for a bite to eat and laughed at finding Tessai sitting at the table, eating a slice of watermelon that had honey dribbled onto it.

"What in kami's name is that?" he asked.

"Oh," said Tessai, "Ichigo changed his mind about the curry and asked for honey instead. And even though it sounded a little funny…it's actually pretty good! I was surprised."

"Good, huh?" said Kisuke, sitting down and cutting a piece of the watermelon for himself.

He hesitated a moment, then picked up the honey.

"Don't use too much. Just a little," said Tessai, "And it's really pretty good."

"Huh," said Kisuke, "Who knew?"

The afternoon wore on and Kisuke alternated between slipping into the lab to check on the deep scan results and wandering into his bedroom to check on the still-sleeping Ichigo. Finally, he heard several sharp beeping sounds and returned to the lab to find that the scan results were ready. He sat down at the computer and set the report to print out, then left to make some tea.

"Can I have some of that?" Ichigo said from behind him.

He sighed in relief at seeing the youth back on his feet, and although pale, looking far better than he had before.

"Ah, Ichigo," he said, smiling, "I was just going to make a pot of tea and then look over the results of the scan. Want to join me?"

"Sure," the youth answered, "but I think Tessai already beat you to making the tea."

"Oh, looks like it," Kisuke answered, moving to get the tea.

He poured two cups of tea and handed one to Ichigo, then led him down the hallway and into the lab. They sat down at the computer and Kisuke picked up the newly printed report.

"Let's see…like I said, reiatsu was drained, but has restored itself. No apparent physical damage to your body. No foreign substances or devices present. And no sign of a parasitic hollow inside you…so it must have dropped off after feeding that last time. We should check your house to see if it's hiding there. We don't want it to cause any more trouble."

He shifted to the next page, then nearly dropped the report.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, staring at Kisuke, then frowning and looking down at the page.

His eyes widened and his breath felt like ice in his chest.

"Subject male is pregnant…" Kisuke read aloud.


	7. Gentle Deception

**Chapter 7: Gentle Deception**

"_Subject male is pregnant," Kisuke read._

Ichigo's young mind went into a hard spin and it was only the last minute observation of the beautiful look on Kisuke's face that stopped him from making an exclamation of complete dismay.

_Damn it! I could really have messed things up if I'd reacted like that. He's so happy. This has been his dream all along. And I know that, given time, I would have been just as happy to hear those words. So I have to just…I have to…_

"Ichigo," Kisuke said, placing a hand on his face, "Ichigo, are you all right?"

Ichigo took a dragging breath and broke into a wide, lovely smile.

"Of…course I'm all right, baka!" he said shakily, "I just…Kisuke, I thought that you hadn't been able to figure out how to make me pregnant. I mean, you should have told me you were…"

"What?" Kisuke said, frowning, "You think I would just…experiment on you without your consent?"

Ichigo paled and caught his breath softly.

"I…no, no of course not," he said, shaking his head, "I don't know why I said that. I'm sorry. But…oh my kami…Kisuke, we're going to have a baby!"

His heart ached inside him at how happy the words made his lover. The shopkeeper's arms wrapped around him and he brought his face close to the younger shinigami's. Ichigo couldn't help but smile as Kisuke's lips found his and his lover fed him a torrent of kisses, mumbling soft, intermittent words of affection. Kisuke lifted him and carried him back to his bedroom, still raining deep, sensuous kisses down on his mouth. He was swept away by how beautiful his lover looked, experiencing joy like Ichigo had never seen in him.

_He's never been one who let himself get too involved. Even when we got together, he was always quiet about his feelings, always hiding things. Thank kami, I didn't overlook the little things and miss it! But there's no hiding what he's feeling right now. He's happier than I've ever seen him. And…and I am happy too. I'm scared…because I wasn't expecting this. But…I just have to trust that it will be okay. He'll be there all through this and we'll be okay. I know we will!_

He smiled up at Kisuke as his lover laid him down on the bed and tore their clothes away.

_It's so amazing to see him just react from the heart like this, _Ichigo thought as the kisses rained down on his mouth and throat and the older shinigami's hands caressed him with affection intense enough to bring him to tears.

_And I'd better get used to crying, I guess. Even Byakuya cried sometimes, once he got pregnant. It'll be strange, not being in control of my emotions…having my body change…feeling that life growing inside me. Oh god…how will I tell my dad? What will everyone think? Will Kisuke want to marry me?_

The hard swell of his lover's erection rubbing against his brought Ichigo out of his reverie and he thrust his hips upward in response. And as they feasted on each other's lips, Ichigo's thoughts continued on their riled path, but more softly beneath the deep display of their love that was taking place. He wrapped his legs around the older shinigami's writhing body, loving how it felt as their skin rubbed together, as their fingers tangled together, and their mouths couldn't seem to part for a moment. Kisuke's eyes, he thought, were enchanting, glazed over with happiness and arousal and focused so intently on his. He brushed the hair away from those handsome, affectionate gray eyes and broke away from his lover's mouth to kiss them gently…first one, then the other. Then his mouth fastened on Kisuke's again, biting down hard as the older shinigami entered him in maddeningly slow, careful thrusts. Ichigo's wild eyes met Kisuke's for a moment, then he thrust upward hard, ignoring the jolt of pain and moaning loudly as he moved his hips hard and fast against his lover's.

Kisuke met him, thrust for heavy thrust, his eyes nearly closed and his harsh breaths burning against the younger shinigami's throat as he buried his face in Ichigo's shoulder, his own moans rising in volume as they neared release. He lifted his head slightly and his eyes met Ichigo's as his body shuddered, as he thrust in deeply and held himself there, releasing in seething pulses. The younger shinigami gave a final groan of bliss and his seed erupted onto their sweat-slicked bodies. They descended into a warm flurry of deep, wet kisses, their eyes locked as tightly together as the hearts that beat inside them.

"I know you don't feel ready for this," Kisuke breathed into his ear as they laid entangled and still panting with release, "You probably have a million worries and questions…and maybe you're a little afraid. And that's okay. We can work through all of that, Ichigo."

"Can we work through the fact that I'm supposed to go to college? That my dad still doesn't even know we're together?" Ichigo asked softly, "I'm more scared of telling him than I am about…about _having_ a baby, you know?"

Kisuke nodded.

"We'll find a way to tell him. I promise. And as far as college is concerned, you'll go. You have me…Tessai, your sisters and your dad…a whole lot of people who will absolutely love our baby. We'll work everything out. It will be okay. Trust me."

Ichigo met his eyes with greater calm and more certainty.

"You _know_ I trust you."

"Even though I think sometimes you shouldn't," whispered Kisuke, attacking his mouth with another bout of steamy kisses, before settling down beside him and lacing their fingers together.

"Ichigo," the shopkeeper said quietly as the younger man drifted somewhere between wakefulness and sleep.

"Hmmm?"

"Seeing as how now we're going to be parents…and I've wanted to anyway for a really long time. Assuming that Isshin doesn't kill me immediately, first for seducing you and second for getting you pregnant…"

"Yeah, I will."

Kisuke's eyes widened, cutely.

"Wh-what?" the shopkeeper said, blinking in surprise.

"I'll marry you," Ichigo said, smiling at him and kissing him, "You _were_ going to ask me to marry you, ne?"

"Well," said his lover, "It had crossed my mind once or twice, I guess."

"Once or twice, huh?" Ichigo chuckled, "I think it's been on your mind a little more than that."

"Seriously, though," Kisuke said, regaining some equilibrium, "You shouldn't feel like you have to. I mean, baby or no baby, you should only marry me if you're sure it's what you really want, Ichigo."

"Are you kidding?" Ichigo said, smiling and kissing him again, "I'm never leaving you. And now we're having a baby together. It just means that we get started on those dreams of ours a little sooner."

"Yeah," Kisuke agreed, stroking the younger man's face with gentle fingertips and nibbling softly at his lips, "I just want to be sure that those dreams are mutual ones, Ichigo. You need to tell me if you start to feel overwhelmed. What with the pregnancy and all of the stresses in your life, you are going to feel some pressure."

"Ungh," groaned Ichigo, placing a hand on his stomach, then rolling to his feet.

Kisuke smiled and shook his head as the younger shinigami burst into the bathroom, dropped to his knees and retched loudly.

"Poor kid," he said affectionately, "You'd better get used to that. Although…"

He scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Although, I did come up with a couple of things that seemed to help Byakuya-san. I'd better go make some more…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo groaned and opened his eyes, caught sight of the clock and leapt from Kisuke's bed, nearly making his dozing lover tumble out onto the floor.

"Wh-what…are you…sick again?" Kisuke mumbled, half-awake, "I made some…"

"I have to get to school!" Ichigo exclaimed, grabbing his clothes and dressing hastily, "I have a final in a half…"

He cringed and clutched his abdomen, then turned and ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. Kisuke grimaced in sympathy and left the room for a moment, returning just in time to hand the youth a glass of green liquid that made Ichigo cringe again.

"Drink it," the shopkeeper insisted, "You want to get a good score on your finals today, ne? That mixture doesn't taste too bad and it will help you feel better exceptionally quickly."

"Really? This one of your inventions?" Ichigo asked.

"Yup, made it for Byakuya-san. It's what kept him on his feet for so much of his pregnancy. It works."

Ichigo nodded and downed the surprisingly pleasant concoction, then gave Kisuke a final kiss and raced out of the room. Kisuke shook his head and returned to his lab to look over the results of the youth's medical tests. Despite the fact that he was relatively sure the culprit was a mixture of Ichigo's pregnancy and a parasitic hollow, he felt uneasy about the fact that Ichigo experienced nightmares he couldn't remember along with the draining, and that twice he had been drained to the point of unconsciousness. As his pregnancy progressed, it was likely that if the reiatsu drains continued, it could be harmful to the developing child. He studied the test results again and conferred briefly with Tessai.

"What do you think?" he asked as the other shinigami frowned at the papers.

"You are correct to be uneasy. This could be a simple parasitic hollow, but it could also be a more complicated type. I suggest regular full scans and a comparative check with his records from before we discovered the pregnancy."

"I was thinking the same thing," Kisuke said, nodding, "Okay, why don't you dig up his records and I'll go check out his house for any signs of that parasitic hollow. Even if it has left the house now, we should get some kind of reading on its reiatsu."

"You've got it, boss," Tessai said, nodding.

"And have Jinta and Ururu search around here and in the training room to see if the little bugger may have dropped off here. Have one of them come and get me if they find anything."

"Hai."

Kisuke flash stepped out of the shop and made his way through the river park and across town to Ichigo's house. He sensed the reiatsu inside and found the house to be deserted except for Kon. He flash stepped up to Ichigo's window and slipped into his lover's bedroom, then looked around for the stuffed toy that held the mod soul, while feeling out the reiatsu in Ichigo's room.

"Damn it. Nothing," he said softly, "Nothing at all."

He shook his head and his lips tightened.

"There should be something…something…"

"Aw, ohayo, Urahara-san!" Kon said, scampering into the room and bowing hastily.

"Sorry to yank you away from those adult movies you were watching, the shopkeeper said, good naturedly, "but I think I'm going to need some help here."

"Oh, no!" griped the mod soul, "Last time you said that, you had me running all over Karakura Town, nearly killing myself fighting hollows! No way!"

"Hey, no worries. You provided an important service, and you gave me time to set up some important defenses. And anyway, this is easy. I just need you to answer a few questions and keep your eyes open, ne?"

"Oh…all right, I guess. What do you need to ask? Nee-chan's bust size? Orihime-chan's? How many days it's been since I got laid?"

"Nice," muttered Kisuke, "This is a bit more relevant. I need you to tell me if you have sensed any odd changes in the reiatsu around here. You're here most of the time, and you are here as Ichigo comes in and out, so you would probably be likely to sense it."

"Reiatsu changes," mused Kon, scratching his head and blinking, "Nope…no, I don't think I…"

He paused for a moment, frowning and looking back at the bed.

"W-wait a minute," he said softly, "I _do _think I remember there being a reiatsu change…just, well, it was while Ichi was sleeping, and it didn't come from anywhere else. It seemed to be inside him. I didn't think of it much at the time, because it was there for just a minute or two and then it was gone. That's when Ichi woke up and told me to get you."

Kisuke's brow furrowed.

"Came from…inside him? That's odd. There was no…"

He shook his head, thinking back.

"Wait a sec. Renji said the same sort of thing. Ichigo was on guard duty and Renji found him unconscious with a strange reiatsu on him that disappeared. Maybe this was the same. But you said that it came from inside him. I'll have to scan Ichigo again, although it's not likely to change the results unless we catch him having one of these episodes. I'll have to see what I can rig to monitor him while he sleeps."

"Is there anything else you need?" Kon asked, yawning, "If not, I'm off to make some popcorn. Got another movie to watch!"

"Doesn't Isshin-san get on Ichigo about all of those porn movies he thinks he watches?"

"Naw," Kon explained, "He figures it's kinda educational for him. He just told Ichi not to do it while the girls are here."

Kisuke laughed softly.

"Well, I hate to tell you, but Isshin is about to find out that Ichigo is gay…and pregnant with my kid. So, I don't think that Isshin is going to be fooled, and I don't think he'll enjoy knowing he was paying to further pervert the mind of an already perverted mod soul, ne? So you might want to cut it out."

"Aw," complained Kon, "You jerks ruin all of my fun!"

"Hah, if you were _having_ any fun, then you wouldn't need to be watching those raunchy movies…"

He shook his head and left the mod soul grousing, while he finished looking around the house and satisfying himself that the parasitic hollow, if it existed, wasn't there. He returned to the shop and spent the afternoon in the lab, looking over the ginger-haired youth's medical records.

"I'll be damned if I can find _anything_ here that either confirms or rules out a parasitic hollow," he said, shaking his head, "The only thing that still really rankles me is that Renji said there was a residual reiatsu that rapidly dissipated. And Kon said that the odd reiatsu he sensed was _inside_ Ichigo."

"Well," said Tessai, "It isn't there now. And I have the monitors ready."

"Good," Kisuke said, nodding, "Ichigo's out of school as of today, so I'll just have him stay here. And once we tell Isshin about us and the baby, Ichigo can just move in. That way, we can keep a closer eye on him."

"You talkin' about me?" Ichigo asked from the doorway.

"Actually, yeah, we were," Kisuke confirmed, "We were needing to run some more tests and to monitor you a bit. So I was hoping you would stay here for the next few nights, now that school is out."

"Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, maybe while we work on that, we can figure out what to say to my dad."

Ichigo sighed softly, and dropped into a chair.

"I think when I tell him…after he kills you, he might just kill me too."

Kisuke slipped an arm around him and kissed him warmly on the lips.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Ichigo. If we can't get him to accept the news calmly, I've got a hundred different ways we can escape with our lives."

"Great!" huffed Ichigo, rolling his eyes, "Just great!"


	8. The Bonding

**Chapter 8: The Bonding**

"Thanks for coming, Byakuya-san," Kisuke said, motioning for the noble to join him at the kitchen table, "Ichigo will be back soon. He just went to pick up his grade report from the school. I thought it would be good if we talked before he got back."

Byakuya nodded briefly and sat down, then adjusted the front pack so that Hajime rested more comfortably in his arms.

"You said that it had something to do with your investigation of ways to allow for you and Ichigo to have a child. Does this mean that you have found a way to impregnate Ichigo?"

"Ah…uh, yeah," said Kisuke, scratching the back of his neck, "You could say that."

"I see," said the noble, "That is good news, ne?"

"Well, yeah, it is. Unfortunately, the way we found out was that Ichigo just…turned up pregnant, and I can't tell for the life of me why."

"Ichigo is pregnant?" Byakuya queried, an eyebrow arching questioningly, "I had thought that you did not want to impregnate the boy until you had a chance to work out his lingering concerns about it. That is what you said to me the last time we met to discuss the details of noble pregnancies."

"That's right. I did say that. And honestly, I wasn't trying to impregnate him. We had unprotected sex, but being that we're both male and neither of us is noble, we thought we were in the clear."

"And what was Ichigo's reaction when he found out?"

"Oh," said Kisuke, "He was smiling and he said all of the right things…"

"But?"

"But Ichigo always reacts well to things. That's not how you know what he's thinking. You have to look into his eyes and you'll see whether or not he's speaking from the heart."

Byakuya lowered his eyes to look down at Hajime.

"And what did his eyes tell you, Urahara-san?" he asked softly.

"Huh…" Kisuke said, his eyes clouding slightly, "I didn't look."

Byakuya looked up at the shopkeeper, but remained silent.

"I didn't have to," Kisuke went on, sadness rising in his eyes, "I've been around Ichigo long enough to know without even knowing _how_ I know. It's just there. And I knew right then that Ichigo is really not ready for this. But what can we do, Byakuya-san? This is our child…and whether we are ready or not, our child needs parents to act as a guide."

"Then let me reassure you," said Byakuya calmly, "Kurosaki Ichigo may be young, but he takes care of those around him who are weaker than he is. I truly believe that his protective instincts are going to ease the way for him. And the love that the two of you feel for each other is going to see you through this."

A soft smirk rose on the noble's lips.

"Where you will be likely to encounter difficulty is when it comes to informing Kurosaki Isshin about exactly what you have been doing to his son."

Kisuke felt a soft, inward quiver and laughed nervously.

"Yeah…we haven't gone there yet. We're still adjusting to the shock ourselves. That's why I asked you to come. I thought that since you had been through this, you might be able to tell us some of what we can expect. Maybe hearing it out loud like that will get it to sink in so that we can really start making our plans."

He broke off as Ichigo opened the front door to the shop and said a quick hello to Tessai before turning towards the kitchen.

"Hey, Byakuya," he said, smiling casually, "What brings you here?"

He looked down at the sweetly cooing Hajime and smiled.

"Hey, Hajime," he said, tickling the baby's fingertips, "Gimmie five…"

"I asked Byakuya to come," Kisuke said, glancing at the noble, "Seeing as he's been through this, I thought we could ask some questions and get a little food for thought. I hope that's all right with you."

"Sure," said Ichigo, sitting down and accepting a cup of tea from the shopkeeper, "Hey, can you put in some more of that stuff you added before? My insides feel like they're twisted in knots!"

"Hmmm," said Kisuke, adding the some of the mixture to Ichigo's tea, "You're reiatsu's out of balance too."

"It doesn't feel low to me," said Ichigo, frowning.

"That is because the pregnancy does not _lower_ your reiatsu," explained Byakuya, "It actually gradually increases it. But as it does, your reiatsu will have a tendency to fall out of balance, creating uncomfortable symptoms."

"Great," muttered Ichigo, "Isn't there something we can do about that?"

"Yes," replied Byakuya, nodding, "There is a practice that we use in the noble houses. Whether it is a heterosexual mating pair or a homosexual one, the procedure is the same. But to do this, the two of you will need to be in naked physical contact."

He smirked slightly at the blush that erupted onto Ichigo's face.

"Come again? I'm not getting _naked_ in front of you!" the youth snapped.

"Relax," said Urahara, "We're all grown ups here. Just think of Byakuya-san as…a kind of therapist. It's not like he's going to try anything with you. I think our pal, Renji and I would have something to say if he did."

"Y-yeah," said Ichigo uncertainly, "I guess, but…hell, let's just get this _over_ with, okay? I feel like I'm going to…"

He broke off and flash stepped away to the bathroom. Kisuke and Byakuya exchanged amused glances.

"It was like that for me too," Byakuya said, remembering, "Although, I must say that Ichigo has it somewhat easier than I did. I was still on reduced duty and had to work and attend to reports and taichou's meetings. I cannot tell you how much I wanted to kill Zaraki taichou for the hard time he gave me."

"I can imagine," said Kisuke, "Why don't you wait here, Byakuya-san. I'll go change and get Ichigo settled."

He left Byakuya sitting quietly at the table and feeding Hajime, then walked into the bedroom, where Ichigo was just emerging from the bathroom.

"Ugh…sorry," said the youth, "Didn't mean to run off and leave you there."

"No problem," said Kisuke, handing Ichigo a clean yukata, "Here, put this on."

He turned and slipped out of his clothes and reached for a second yukata he had taken out.

"Just wait here," he said, tying the belt at his waist, "I'll go and get Byakuya-san."

"Sure," said Ichigo, looking less than pleased, "But I'm telling you, I don't like the idea of…"

"Relax," said the shopkeeper, shaking his head, "I don't think Byakuya wants to get fresh with you or anything. This is purely instructional."

"Right," huffed Ichigo, dropping onto the bed and curling his legs beneath him.

Kisuke laughed and left the room, returning a few moments later with Byakuya.

"Where's Hajime?" asked the youth.

"Shihoin Yoruichi was kind enough to offer to feed him and put him down for his nap," said Byakuya, "That will give us sufficient time for me to explain the pair bonding you will need to engage in to keep your reiatsu in balance as your gestation moved forward."

"Great," muttered Ichigo, "Okay, let's just get this over with."

"Very well," said Byakuya, "Urahara-san, you will need to open your yukata, so that your skin will be in physical contact with his. And Ichigo, you will need to lower yours so that his body can touch yours."

"Okay, fine," Ichigo said, flushing more brightly as Kisuke opened his yukata, baring his muscled chest, slim torso and his already slightly aroused member.

He loosened the tie at the youth's waist and slid the yukata down so that it laid in a heap around him, hiding his genitalia from view as Ichigo blushed and fidgeted.

"There," Kisuke said, "We're ready."

"I will need to touch you, just on the abdomen, to instruct Urahara-san," Byakuya said to the flustered youth.

"You know, I think I prefer throwing up and being unbalanced," groaned Ichigo, flushing a deeper red as Byakuya's hand came to rest on his abdomen.

"Urahara-san, sit up against Ichigo's back and wrap your arms around him, placing your hands here, with mine."

Kisuke nodded and moved into position.

"Ichigo, you will need to relax against him. Close your eyes if it helps you to focus."

Ichigo let out an anxious breath, then sighed in resignation and relaxed against Kisuke. He nearly jumped out of his skin as golden light flared around Byakuya's hand, where it touched him, but a moment later, found himself unable to pull away as a feeling of deep connection formed between Kisuke's body and his.

"I have made the reiatsu connection, as it is the first time for you and might have been somewhat difficult for you since you are not used to it," the noble explained, "When you do this in the future, as soon as you position yourselves and make physical contact, your spirit ribbons will entwine on their own. Once they are entwined, there is nothing more to do, but enjoy the physical and spiritual closeness. Urahara-san's body will naturally respond to the imbalance in your reiatsu, and will stabilize you."

"That's all there is to it?" said Ichigo, his eyes blinking lazily at the soft, lovely hum of power that was moving between Kisuke and him, "That's not so bad. It actually feels really, really good."

Byakuya smiled.

"Then, I will excuse myself."

"You don't have to go on our account," said Kisuke.

"Hmmm," said the noble, a shine of affectionate memory in his dark eyes, "I think it would be inappropriate for me to stay, considering that the pair bonding ritual stimulates the pleasure centers in the body, often leading to rather enthusiastic lovemaking afterwards."

"What? Byakuya!" objected Ichigo.

"Take it easy," said Kisuke, tightening his arms around the youth and coaxing him into an over-the shoulder kiss, "Byakuya-san was just trying to help."

"Yeah well he could have given me a little more…"

Ichigo's eyes suddenly widened and began to glaze over.

"…w-warning," he finished weakly.

"That feel better now?" asked Kisuke, smiling as he fed Ichigo another slow kiss and gazed down at where his hands rested on the youth's glowing abdomen.

"Oh…" Ichigo moaned dazedly, "Oh…Kisuke. It's…it's…great."

"That's good to know," the shopkeeper said, smiling and resting the side of his face against the youth's, "So you're really okay with this now? No bullshit, now. I know you weren't really being honest with me before. You can tell me the truth."

Ichigo sighed and sank more deeply into his arms.

"I love you, Kisuke," he said calmly, "And even though I'm still kinda freaked out about having a kid…I think it will all be okay. I was scared when I first found out…and I think I'll feel that off and on as things go on, but…yeah, I'm really okay with having your kid…our kid."

Kisuke felt his knees weaken at the sincerity in the words and was inwardly glad he was sitting down.

"Good," he said meeting the youth for another tender kiss, "I would have understood you not being quite so settled about this, but…this is good…"

One of the shopkeeper's hands brushed against a sensitive place, and Ichigo groaned loudly.

"Sorry," said the shopkeeper, "Got a little clumsy…"

He would have said more, but found himself dragged down as Ichigo turned and tackled him. The youth's brown eyes were glazed over and filled with erotic flames that seemed to spark and flare, then sink beneath Kisuke's own skin, causing a deep reaction inside him. And suddenly, he couldn't feel close enough to the youth. He wanted to become a part of his lover's body, an extension of him. Just looking at Ichigo's soft skin, touching it lightly, sent throbs of arousal all through him.

"Kisuke…" Ichigo moaned, his voice filled with heady desire.

The shopkeeper forced the youth onto his back and pushed his legs open wide, then placed his hands on the white, inner thighs and lowered his head. Ichigo gave a hard, passionate cry as Kisuke began to pleasure him. His hips rose off the bed.

"Kisuke, don't tease!" he cried, "I can't take it right now. I have to…I want to…!"

He nearly launched off the bed as Kisuke's hand continued its manipulations and he forced the youth's legs farther apart, attacking his nether region enthusiastically.

"What are you…ah…ah…_doing_?" Ichigo gasped, "Do you have _any_ idea what you are…hah…doing to me?"

"I've got…a pretty good idea," Kisuke said dizzily from between the youth's parted thighs.

The softness of the skin his hands were touching, Ichigo's youthful scent and the beautiful sight of him lying with his legs spread wide, his back arched and his hands clenching the sheets tightly enough to rip them send Kisuke's mind into a lovely, erotic spin, and before he quite realized what he was doing, he had mounted the writhing youth. He was worried about the less than gentle entrance and opened his mouth to apologize, but then gasped in surprise as Ichigo dragged him down and clamped down hard on his mouth, moaning loudly and gripping his yukata as he arched wantonly upward into the shopkeeper's thrusting body.

"Oh! Oh fuck…oh gods! K-kisuke!" Ichigo howled, bucking his hips upward, "Oh god! Oh god! Oh god! H-harder!"

The shopkeeper's body responded without conscious thought to the youth's continued cries of 'harder,' 'faster' and 'more!'

The reiatsu flared brightly around the two as the pleasure swelled inside them, making their minds disappear into the heat and beauty of the sensations. Kisuke's voice joined Ichigo's in hard, shuddering moans as their bodies thrust heavily against each other and their pleasure began to peak.

They sailed over a lovely pinnacle, the pleasure erupting through each of them from end to shaking end. They howled and panted hard as Kisuke's blazing seed filled Ichigo inside and the youth's spilled out onto their hot, sweaty skin. Kisuke collapsed onto the youth, still kissing him as dizziness swept over both of them and left them deliciously sated and unable to move.

"I guess Byakuya-san wasn't kidding when he said that it would lead to _enthusiastic_ lovemaking," commented Kisuke, making a line of kisses up Ichigo's damp throat and nipping at the shell of an ear.

Ichigo laid still, with his legs still spread and his release cooling on their skin. He gave the shopkeeper a lazy smile.

"I guess there is _something _about being knocked up that I'm going to enjoy," he chuckled.

"I think we owe Byakuya-san a pretty big thank you, ne?"

"I think that can wait," Ichigo said, his mouth seeking the shopkeeper's again.


	9. The Right Words

**Chapter 9: The Right Words**

**(Another Urahara/Ichigo story revived from oblivion by a Jodi's request! It's been so long since someone showed such enthusiasm for Urahara/Ichigo. I really like them together! I will keep the updates coming for these. Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

Ichigo woke to the feeling of warm hands rubbing his soft belly and glowing reiatsu steadily infusing him.

"Hey," he breathed sleepily, touching one of the hands that caressed him and tugging Kisuke down on top of him, "C'mere."

Smiling, the shopkeeper crawled up the younger man's body, teasing the fine skin all of the way with brushings of his heated lips and stroking fingers. His mouth found Ichigo's and his naked body pressed hungrily up against the younger man's, grinding slowly as they continued to kiss. The two paused suddenly and both glanced down at Ichigo's abdomen curiously. Then, both men smiled.

"You feel what I feel?" Kisuke asked, a pleased look in his gray eyes.

"There's definitely a bump there," Ichigo observed studying the area again, "Doesn't it usually take longer for that to happen?"

"For a human, yeah," Kisuke explained, "But shinigami male reproduction occurs more quickly, because instead of growing a detailed body, we're only maturing the reiatsu so that it will form the body when it's born. And anyway, the human male doesn't reproduce."

Ichigo gave him an annoyed look.

"Well, I'm a human male and I'm definitely knocked up, so you're wrong."

"No," Kisuke countered, "You are a human/shinigami hybrid male and your human component can't get knocked up. But...you are half shinigami and I am all shinigami. So, that three quarters of shinigami is the reason the spirit chamber could form in you. You see, it's not attached to your human body, but your shinigami one. And that means, we can sense the pregnancy, see your enlarged belly and such, and sensitive friends like Chad, Uryu and Orihime can sense those things, but regular, non-sensitive humans won't."

Ichigo's eyes took on a worried look.

"But my dad will," he said unhappily, "He's gonna be pissed beyond belief when he finds out...that is, if he ever stops crying to Mom's picture about how wrong I've gone. Damn! I just don't know how to deal with him."

"Yeah," Kisuke agreed, scratching the back of his neck, "and it's not like you can avoid the guy forever."

"I know you're right," grumbled the ginger-haired youth, rubbing his belly and paling at the thought, "It's just making me feel even more sick inside than the morning sickness!"

"We could use the stabilization technique that Byakuya-san showed us," Kisuke offered.

"Heh," Ichigo chuckled, brightening slightly, "I don't know if I have the energy for what comes after, you know?"

"Yeah, right," Kisuke agreed, grinning, "I think we did more damage to the ol' shop than your dad's gonna do when he finds out about all of this."

"Huh, yeah, he's gonna hit the roof," Ichigo said uncomfortably, "but...when he comes down again, I think...Kisuke, I think that he'll be happy too."

Kisuke gazed back at the younger man in silence, reading his expression carefully before answering.

"He will be," the shopkeeper said finally, "You don't have to worry about that."

"Yeah, I just have to make sure he doesn't kill you before he falls in love with this kid inside me."

Ichigo swallowed hard, cursing the hormones that made his eyes fill with tears at the thought.

"It's like this little piece of Mom that's still going on," Ichigo said softly, "Once that thought hits him, he's gonna forget about being angry."

"So, there's no need to be worried, right?" Kisuke concluded, kissing him again.

"No," the younger man said, shaking his head briefly, "I guess not. So...I'd better just go home and give him the news."

"Huh, you want some backup, just in case?" Kisuke asked, smirking.

"I think that you'd better stay outta this one," Ichigo laughed, extracting himself from the other man's arms and exiting the bed, "I've got it. I'll be back, okay?"

"I'll be here."

"Just be careful, in case he decides to come flying over here to beat the living hell outta you or something."

"Right," Kisuke chuckled, "I'll be ready."

Ichigo finished dressing, then left the shop and walked out into the cool, sunny afternoon, taking the long path, down by the river that led back in the direction of his home. He walked slowly, glancing down into the running water from time to time and trying to keep his thoughts calm.

_But as much as I am sure that Dad will be happy that he's gonna be a grandfather, he's gonna be so pissed at Kisuke. I just hope he doesn't fly off the handle and do something stupid..._

_But, then, this is Dad we're talking about._

He cringed at the thought of the elder Kurosaki laying waste to the shopkeeper's home, shuddering at the thought of the man's anger.

"Damn...I don't want to do this. I really don't want to do this," Ichigo whispered, his hand moving instinctively to his slightly rounded abdomen, "Just thinking about it is making me feel sick. What am I gonna do?"

He bent forward slightly, looking down into the riled water of the river and trying not to be sick. The reflection of a tall woman appeared on the water and Ichigo shut his eyes tightly and ignored her.

_I don't need Yoruichi teasing me right now. I just wanna..._

He froze as a familiar feminine voice spoke into his mind and icy hands took hold of him.

_Kurosaki Ichigo, I apologize, but your impregnated reiatsu is irresistible to me. I hunger more greatly for it...and I will take it!_

"N-no..." Ichigo moaned, staggering back as the hands holding him tightened, and a jolt of power flashed through him, making his legs collapse, so that the lady hollow was all that held him on his feet.

"Stop!" Ichigo gasped, struggling and turning his head aside as the hollow sought his mouth and snapped hungrily at his flushed lips, "G-get away!"

He tried to summon his own powers, but found himself unable to effect any kind of control.

_You can do nothing to fight me, _the hollow reminded him, _I hold your life in my hands, and the time is fast approaching when I will claim it. I will try to allow your last wish to come to fruition, but...I did not anticipate it would be like this. I begin to lose control of myself. I may kill you before I mean to._

_It would be sad if I did._

_But, my hunger, my thirst...my body must be sated by you._

"N-no!" Ichigo moaned, his movements weakening until he laid limply in the hollow's arms.

The hollow's red mouth fastened roughly on Ichigo's, and the lady hollow groaned in bliss, savoring the sweet reiatsu she drew from within him. The young man in her arms began to lose consciousness entirely, but as he did, he registered some kind of commotion, then a feeling of falling, before being caught up in familiar, strong arms. He cracked his eyes open and found himself gazing dazedly up into his father's stern eyes.

"Ichigo," Isshin said in a low, worried tone, "What _was _that thing?"

"D-dad!" Ichigo panted, trying desperately to make his vision clear.

"I've got you, son," Isshin said, holding him tightly, "It'll be okay."

"Dad..."

"Shh, I've got you."

"Dad, I'm...s-sorry."

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo began to regain awareness and found himself being pulled in two different directions by horribly strong forces. The first was wreathed in darkness, and clawed at him mercilessly. He could head a rasping voice threatening him and tugging him away from the more familiar voices.

"He's been badly drained," Kisuke's voice said.

Ichigo felt the shopkeeper's warm hands opening his clothing, then touching him over each of his seven spirit centers.

"You say it was a hollow of some kind?" Kisuke asked over Ichigo's spinning head, "What did it look like?"

"A woman," Isshin's voice answered, the worry in it sending a jolt of panic through Ichigo's immobilized form, "She was...tall and dressed in red. She was sucking the reiatsu out through his mouth. Ichigo couldn't seem to fight back, although his powers weren't being inhibited. It's like she had some kind of control over him."

"Damn it! I wish I'd seen it. I don't know if this is what's been draining him up until now or not."

"You should've told me about this," Isshin growled unhappily, "We could have had more eyes watching him."

"I'm sorry," Kisuke said sincerely, "Ichigo was beside himself when we learned he was pregnant. He didn't know how to tell you without you being mad enough to kill us both."

"I'm not going to kill you for that," Isshin said in a lower, even angrier voice, "But I just might kill you for putting your hands on my boy and then keeping all of this from me! You're lucky I need you to keep him alive. I would've killed you already, you thieving little snake!"

"Okay, I get it. You're pissed about me having sex with your son."

"And knocking him up!"

"And that too."

"_And_ keeping secrets that could get Ichigo killed."

"Right," Kisuke replied, a look of guilt taking over his face at the last comment, "I don't feel so good about what I did either...but...I love Ichigo. And if that makes you wanna kill me, I can't stop you."

"I'll wait until you're done saving his life," Isshin answered dryly, "You know what my kids mean to me."

"Yeah, I know," Kisuke said softly, "And you know what Ichigo and this baby mean to me."

"That's why you're still breathing, you bastard!" the elder kurosaki snapped, glaring at the shopkeeper.

"M-man, Dad s-sounds pretty pissed," Ichigo managed weakly.

"Be quiet," his father warned him, slipping a hand into Ichigo's, "You need to use your strength to stay with us. We can worry about the other stuff later."

"Dad, don't blame Kisuke."

"I told you..."

"It's not his fault," Ichigo insisted, opening his eyes a crack and focusing on the two blurred figures that leaned over him, "I fell in love with him and had to practically drag him into this..."

"Liar," Kisuke said in a low, deeply affected voice, "Don't worry about protecting me. Just focus on yourself and the baby. The baby's reiatsu is unstable. I'm trying to get it to settle down, but you aren't helping by refusing to rest, okay?"

"Th-the...the baby?"

"It's gonna be okay," Kisuke assured him, "Relax and try to get some sleep."

Ichigo's mind drifted, and he faded out for a time, reeling as Isshin and Kisuke's voices seemed to continue echoing all around him. And along with their voices the sultry voice of the lady hollow whispered into his thoughts, sending chills up and down his spine and leaving him restless. He wasn't sure how long it was until the throng of voices fell away and he was actually able to sleep again. He rested, anchored in strong arms and pressed up against a fiercely warm body. He worried, at first, that it might be the hollow, but then caught a breath of Kisuke's scent and sighed in relief. Kisuke stirred and opened an eye to look at him.

"You all right now?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Wh-where's my dad?" Ichigo asked worriedly.

"Once we got you and the baby stabilized, he left," Kisuke reported quietly, "He'll be back in the morning to check on you."

"Baby's okay?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Kisuke."

"You're welcome."

A silence rose up between the two for several long minutes before Ichigo spoke again.

"He's really mad, isn't he?"

"He's mad at me," Kisuke replied, "He was worried about you."

"He didn't...do anything to you, did he?"

"Eh, he broke a few things around the shop, but I think he took it pretty well, actually," Kisuke chuckled, "It's fine. Don't worry about it. Isshin's not going to kill either one of us. Not that I want to diminish the seriousness of the hollow attack on you, but it did draw off some of your dad's ire."

"You're damned lucky," Ichigo breathed sleepily.

"Yeah? I'll feel _lucky_ when this little one is born and everything's okay."

"I can feel the baby's reiatsu now," Ichigo said, moving a shaky hand to touch his belly, "The baby's all right for now."

"Okay," Kisuke said, kissing the younger man on the forehead, then on the mouth, "Get some more rest. I'll be right here."

"Kisuke?"

"Huh?"

"You used the method Byakuya showed you to stabilize me, didn't you?"

"Yeah," the shopkeeper admitted, blushing, "I didn't really have much of a choice. It was that or watch you and the baby hollowfy and have to destroy you both. I think this is the better option."

"I want you..."

"Yeah, well, you're barely conscious right now, and you're under orders to rest, not to strain yourself, so go to sleep."

"I can't sleep like this..."

"Well, I'm not touching you until you are rested, so you're gonna have to ignore it."

"But...it kinda hurts."

"Well if I do anything about it, you're gonna die. _Hurting_ beats _dead_ in any book, so forget it."

"You're a real bastard sometimes, you know that?"

"Yeah, I am," Kisuke said, holding him more tightly, "But this _bastard_ loves the living daylights outta you, Ichigo. Don't you forget that."

"I won't," Ichigo chuckled, blinking sleepily.

Ichigo felt his consciousness fade, and he floated in calm oblivion for a time, aware only that Kisuke was still next to him and holding on to him with fierce protectiveness.

_I'm going to protect you,_ those hands seemed to say, _I won't let anything happen to you._

Ichigo felt a disturbing shaft of worry as he thought back to the attack on him by the river and he felt a shearing away of the experience. He found himself slowly losing the details of what had happened, until he wasn't sure anymore if he had really seen the lady hollow at all.

_What's happening to me? _he wondered worriedly.

He returned Kisuke's tight embrace, burying his face in his lover's shoulder and trying to think only of the miracle growing inside him. But even as his happiness over the baby returned, he felt the uncomfortable sense that something was still very, very wrong.

_What happened to me out there?_

_What's going on?_

_I have a really bad feeling about this._

But, unable to make sense of the feeling, he pushed it away and let Kisuke's warm presence surround him.

Down near the river, the lady hollow stood on the shore, looking down into the swirling water.

_Not much longer now._

_Soon, the final feasting will begin!_


	10. Voices

**Chapter 10: Voices**

**(Whew! Getting this one in just under the wire! That is, just barely before midnight to round out this four-play of Urahara/Ichigo sweetness. Thanks for tuning in! We'll have to do this again sometime soon! Love you all, Spunky)**

_"Ichigo..."_ whispered an echoing distant voice.

At first, he felt a jolt of fear that it could be the lady hollow.

"_Ichigo, can you hear me?_"

But as the person continued to call his name, the sound cleared gradually and identified itself as male, and heartbreakingly familiar.

_Kisuke?_

"You moved a little. That's good."

Slowly, he began to register warm fingers running through the short lengths of his hair, touching his face lightly...and trembling against his skin.

_What's going on? Why does my body feel so heavy? What happened? Kisuke sounds scared._

_Why is he scared?_

_What's wrong with me?_

"That's it. Relax, Ichigo. Go ahead and sleep more if you need to. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here with you."

Ichigo tried to open his eyes, but even that small part of him refused to budge. He heard another soft, male voice and felt the touch of cool, slender hands on his belly. Reiatsu trickled from the man's gentle fingertips, stealing down beneath his skin and curling around the reiatsu cluster inside him.

"The pregnancy is progressing well."

_Byakuya?_

The noble's hands continued to touch him searchingly and he could almost envision the man's solemn frown and slightly bowed head.

"Do you sense what I described to you?" Kisuke asked.

"Not at this time," Byakuya answered quietly, "But I have a suspicion that it will return."

"How is that?"

"I cannot locate it, but I feel an opened connection, a conduit, if you will. You say that the hollow drained him, and that she approached him to do so."

"Yeah."

"Unfortunately, I think that she does not have to be in his presence to draw reiatsu from him."

"What?" Kisuke asked worriedly, his hands joining Byakuya's on Ichigo's bared abdomen.

"Damn it!"

"Wh-what's going on?" Ichigo managed sleepily, "What was that you said?"

Byakuya and Kisuke exchanged worried looks.

"Nothing," Kisuke assured him, "You're gonna be fine. Byakuya-san and I were just monitoring your progress while you were out cold."

"I was...unconscious?" Ichigo mumbled, forcing his eyes slowly opened and looking up at the two curiously.

He paused and caught his breath in surprise as he noticed his more rounded baby bump.

"Kisuke! How long was I out?" he gasped, trying to sit up, but encountering two sets of staying hands.

"Whoa, don't try to sit up so fast."

"Well, answer my question, then!" Ichigo demanded, "How long was I unconscious?"

"You have been unconscious and barely functioning for two weeks," Byakuya stated solemnly.

"But...!"

"We were able to stabilize you," Kisuke went on, "but there were other times when we could sense that you were drained, but there was no sign of any intrusion around you."

"So," Ichigo went on, paling as he sat up and grabbing on to Kisuke's arm for support, "I heard Byakuya say that the hollow set up some kind of conduit in me."

"Yeah," Kisuke admitted unhappily, "I'm going to try to get a handle on it, but you need to understand, I'm limited in what I can do without hurting the baby. If we..."

"No!" Ichigo exclaimed, "No way! There's no guarantee you could help me, even if you did end the pregnancy. I'm not doing that!"

"Okay," Kisuke answered, looking relieved, "I wasn't trying to make a decision about whether or not you should. I only wanted to explain our options."

"Okay, sorry I freaked out."

"It is an understandable reaction," Byakuya assured him, "But you are going to need all of your considerable strength to endure as we try to assist you."

"I'm glad you're both here," Ichigo said gratefully.

"Hey, where else would we be?" Kisuke chided him gently.

"Right, you're always there when I need you."

"That's not going to change now. I want you to just rest easy. We don't have a way of knowing when that hollow's going to feed. I have reiatsu receptors placed in your body, monitors on everything imaginable."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to help me," Ichigo said firmly, "I trust you."

"Yeah, well I can't promise you that there's an answer to be found, but if there's a way in hell, I'll find it. I'll save you and our kid."

"Thank you, Kisuke," Ichigo replied, smiling and squeezing the shopkeeper's hand.

The three looked up as Tessai entered the room, bearing a tray loaded with hot, delicious looking food.

"I thought I heard your voice, Kurosaki-san," he said, setting the tray in the young man's lap, "You should eat as much as you can to regain your strength."

"I don't think that's gonna be a problem," Ichigo chuckled, digging in to the delectable meal, "This looks like all of my favorites."

"I think it _is_ all of his favorites," Kisuke said, smirking good-naturedly, "Don't put away your spatula. He may want seconds."

"I will be happy to provide as much as you can manage, Kurosaki-san."

"Hey," said Renji's voice from the doorway, "I heard that! How come he gets the royal treatment and you always tease me and call me Moocher?"

"I think Tessai gets a kick out of making you scowl and whine," Ichigo teased the redhead.

"Shut up, asshole," Renji sniffed, feigning taking offense, "I'll take back the brownies that Matsuko sent along for you."

"Brownies too?" Ichigo managed around a mouthful of chicken and rice, "You guys are totally spoiling me!"

"Everybody at Kuchiki Manor was asking about how you're doing. I told'em I'd come and check out the situation. I was wondering, myself...well, that plus I missed my gorgeous husband!"

"I do hope that you found time to spend with our child, between managing things in my absence and coming here," Byakuya mused.

"Hey, be nice," Renji complained, "I was in with the little squirt the whole time Matsuko was making those brownies. He's happy as a clam, I promise. You want one of these brownies before Ichigo eats them all, beautiful?"

"Don't be silly," Byakuya chided him, "I haven't craved sweets since I had our child."

"Well," Renji said seductively, "You're so cute with your cravings while you're pregnant, I'm just going to have to knock you up all over again!"

Byakuya gave him a warning glare that made him take a step back and break into a sweat.

"Ah...okay, if you don't want a brownie, Ichigo can have'em all. No problem!"

Ichigo laughed merrily, snatching up one of the brownies from the tray and enjoying the warm explosion of chocolate over his senses.

"Mmmmmmm! Tell Matsuko I love her!" Ichigo sighed.

Byakuya observed Ichigo silently for a moment, then looked up at Kisuke.

"I think that I have done all that I can for him at this time."

"Well, thanks, Byakuya-san," Kisuke said gratefully.

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Ichigo added around another mouthful of brownie, "You've been really great."

"Renji and I are going to remain here, if you have no objection," the noble said, giving Kisuke a meaningful look.

"You guys are welcome to stay," Kisuke replied, reading Byakuya's veiled expression, "Tessai will set you up with a room and some dinner, if you like."

"Thank you," Byakuya replied, rising and heading out the door with Renji.

Tessai followed the two, leaving Kisuke alone with a still busily eating Ichigo.

"You sure you're feeling okay now?" the shopkeeper inquired, "I hate bugging you all of the time about that, but..."

"You're worried about me. I get it," Ichigo assured him, pausing in his eating and taking Kisuke's hand, "And I'll be honest and tell you I'm pretty scared. But...I don't know. I just feel like everything's gonna be okay. I don't know why. I know whatever's draining me could kill me. I just don't think it will. We're gonna find an answer. And anyway, it isn't gonna help for me to freak out. I'm just trying to stay calm and think about the baby. It's pretty amazing to think you and I are going to have a baby."

He ate a few more bites, then looked up at the shopkeeper expectantly.

"Kisuke, do you...want to get married?" he asked hesitantly, "I mean, like...soon."

"Well, I would've married you ages ago, if I'd known you wanted to, so yeah, I'd love for us to get married."

"Do you want to have a big ceremony with a lot of people or something smaller?"

"Oh, I don't know. I think smaller is cozier, more comfortable for me, but I want for you to be able to have whoever you want there, so..."

"I kind of agree about smaller being better," Ichigo mused, "But I hope my dad and sisters can be there...and my friends."

"Hey, whatever you want, you've got it. You just tell me how you want it to be and we'll do it."

"Thanks," Ichigo said gratefully, "You really are the best, you know?"

"Hey," Kisuke said, frowning as he sat down and took the younger man's hands in his, "You need to stop talking to me like something bad's gonna happen. If we get married, it's because we love each other and we want to get married."

"I know that."

"Okay."

Ichigo reached down and rubbed his belly gently, a smile paying over his lips. Kisuke's lips stiffened slightly, but still managed to smile as he caressed the younger man's hand and leaned forward to kiss him.

"We're going to be okay," Kisuke said soothingly, "We don't have to feel rushed. But anytime you want to get married, it's fine with me."

"I think we should get married now," Ichigo said quietly, "It'll make me really happy, and anything that makes me happy like that will help me feel stronger."

"You've got it," Kisuke agreed, "I'll see about having Byakuya-san perform the wedding. Clan leaders do that kind of thing."

"That'd be great. He's really been there for us. Tessai, Ururu and Jinta should be there too, and Chad, Uryu and Orihime...Rukia, Renji..."

"You know, Byakuya-san offered to let us be married in the gardens at Kuchiki Manor."

"Really?" Ichigo asked, grinning, "Man, he's become an old softie, hasn't he?"

Kisuke shrugged and smirked.

"Or maybe he just knows we're meant for each other," he suggested.

"Yeah. Kisuke, look, I'm sorry that before all of this happened, I was so focused on my own feelings. I knew you were ready for us to get married and that you wanted kids with me."

"You weren't ready to take those steps, Ichigo," Kisuke replied warmly, kissing his fingertips, "You're barely grown. You needed time to get used to the idea. I always understood that."

"B-but..."

Ichigo paused, blinking back tears.

"But I wasted so much time! And now..."

"Don't go there," Kisuke said soothingly, squeezing his hand, "We're not to the point of no return, Ichigo."

"You don't get it," the younger man said, closing his eyes for a moment, "I feel what you're not able to say to me. I'm dying, Kisuke. I know it. I feel it. I saw it in your eyes, Tessai's...Byakuya's. You're all trying hard to keep my spirits up, but you know how it really is. I'm not saying that the situation's hopeless. What I'm saying is that you don't have to play it tough around me. Just because I'm in danger and may die, doesn't mean that I be there for you. You can talk to me about what's going on. You can confide in me when you're worried and lean on me when you're scared. I think that's what people do when they really love each other like we do. We shouldn't stop doing that, just because of this."

Kisuke closed his burning eyes, breathing slowly and gathering himself before answering. He thought carefully, then opened his eyes and met Ichigo's trusting brown orbs again.

"Okay. You're right. We should be able to talk about things. But I wasn't keeping things from you because I didn't want you to know...or I didn't think you were strong enough. I just want you focus on staying with me...getting married...having our baby. Those are the important things, the things that make you feel more alive. I'm sick inside thinking that I don't have the answers right now...that I could lose you both."

"That's not going to happen," Ichigo said with surprising calm.

"You don't know that. No one does," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "But what I do know is that I love you and this baby with everything in me, and come hell or high water, I am going to hang onto that with both hands, Ichigo."

"Me too."

"Good. Enough talk for now, all right? I want you to eat, get some rest and think about what you want to do for our ceremony. When I come back, we'll talk about it, and whatever you want, it'll be like that."

"Thanks, Kisuke. I'll think about it."

"Good."

Kisuke released his hand and rose, then leaned over to give him a parting kiss. He left the room and walked out into the hallway, where he found Byakuya and Renji quietly waiting for him.

"He understands the situation?" Byakuya queried cautiously.

"Yeah."

"It doesn't mean we're giving up," Renji said bracingly.

"Just that he needs to be aware and to have things the that comforts him the most."

"Yeah...you'd know about that, wouldn't you?" Kisuke said softly, swallowing hard.

Byakuya observed his silently for a moment.

"You don't know that this situation will end as mine and Hisana's did," the clan leader offered, "The important thing is to act to leave yourselves with no regrets, whether or not it ends the way you want it to. Hisana and I focused on the things that we wanted that were within our reach. And it was a comfort to have that feeling that we used our time together wisely. You cannot change his situation right now, but you can make the most of whatever time you have together."

Kisuke nodded briefly, pausing to think carefully.

"We'll have the wedding this weekend," he said softly, "We'd like it to be at Kuchiki Manor, if that's still okay. I'll give you a list of people we'd like to have there."

"Very well," Byakuya answered, nodding, "I will inform my staff to make the preparations. But even as we wait for the ceremony, we must focus all of our efforts on stopping what is happening to him."

"But I don't know how to do that!" Kisuke said desperately.

"I would suggest that if the hollow has an open conduit, that we must find a way to follow that conduit to its source."

Kisuke's eyes widened.

"We need to get to her," he mused softly, "If we have her, then maybe we can find a way to break the connection between them."

"We have to be very cautious," Byakuya warned him, "because if she becomes angry, she may drain him suddenly and completely. She could kill him at any time."

"But if we can catch her off guard and knock her out, that should give me time to study her in detail. We need to understand exactly what she did to Ichigo if we want to know the way to get him free of her!"

"And the best way to find her is to sense when she is draining Ichigo and track her then. Renji and I can do that while you focus on processing the information we procure and bolstering Ichigo, physically and emotionally."

"Right," Kisuke agreed, "Thanks, Byakuya-san. Ichigo's right. You've really been there for us."

"And that will not end now," Byakuya assured him, "We will find this hollow and bring her to you. And when we do, you will find an answer."

"I will."


End file.
